Fimhri^tnlix.] CLII. C'YPERACE^. 1761 



8, short. Nut broadly obovate, truncate, stipitate, moce or less flattened with 3 

 prominent ribs, the two lateral ones often but 'not in all specimens fringed 

 with a broad, hyaline: wing, marked with radiating strife, the dorsal nib never 

 fringed. — Bccckel. in Lihhsea, xxxviii. 388. 

 JIab.: Islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, If. Broivn. 



11. F. sphserocephala (round-headed), Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 30G. Stems 

 densely tufted, filiform, 3 to 6in. high. Leaves much shorter, niimeroiis,. 

 filiform, glabrous, or minntgly pubescent, with short open, she?,ths^ ^pikelet 

 ■golilavy, erect, globular and 1 to 1| line dianfldter, or at length ovoid and 2 lines 

 long, 'brown. Glumes numerous, closely imbricate all round, broadly obovate or 

 orbicular, obtuse, membranous almost hyaline, shortly ciliate, the midrib or keel 

 slightly prominent and in the 1 or 2 outer empty glumes produced into a short 

 point. Stamen 1. Style hairy but scarcely flattened ; br*nches 3. Nut 

 showing 3 prominent ribs. ' . i 



PTalj.: Sunday Island, near Cape York, A. Cunningliam. 



12. F. xyridis (Xyris-like), E. Br. Prod. 226; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 307.- 

 Stems slender but rigid, 1 to l-|ft. high, pubesceiit at the base with short spread- 

 ing hairs. Leaves rather numerous at the base of the stem and some half as 

 long, flat, and grass-like, shortly, ciliate,- the outer ones with .short open sjaeaths,, 

 the innermost with a long' close sheath,. Spikelets solitary, rioddi'ng but terminal,, 

 ovoid or Shortly cylindrical, very obtuse, , 4 to 5,,Iifles long, nearly 8 lines, 

 diameter,, of a rich brown. Glumes very, numerous i and closely imbricate all 

 round, obovate or orbicular, very obtuse, thinly membranous almost hyaline, the 

 central nexve not promiij;ent in the typical form and otherwise nerveless, the 

 margins, somewhat minutely pubescent, the 1 cr 2 outeron.es empty -but nearly 

 sirnilar. ,Btameris'3, (orsometimes 2?),. Style flattened, but glabrous ; branches 

 3. Nuti oblong, triquetrous, smooth, Bcec.kel. in Lin,ri£ea, xxxviii. 389; F. 

 V. M. Fra^m. viii. 274. . ' 



Hab.; Islands and mainland of tbe Gulf of Carpentaria, J?. Broini; Noinianand Gilbert 

 Elvers, UnlUver. ' . ' 



Var. ririidnla. Glumes with a prominent rigid midrib and the spikelet apparently larger, but 

 not fully out in Ihe only specimen seen. ' ' • 



Hab.: Fitzroy Island, Walter. 



' f>, ■ ' ■ . • . .; . , , . ' ...;: ? - . 



18. F. squarrulosa (somewhat squarrose), F. v. M. Fraym. i. 216 ; Benth. 

 FL AiiMr, vii. 808. Stems tufted, 1 to IJft. high, slender, but rigid, leafless 

 except, the. short .erect enbuj^.te points of the sheathing scales, but intermixed, 

 with a few long narrow radical leaves. Spikelet solitary, erect, narrow-oblong, 

 scarcely-flattened, 6 to. 9 lines long, sca.rcely 2 lines broad. Glumes not 

 numerous, almost distichous or irregularly:., spiral, cartilaginous, the keel- 

 prominent, and tapering into a spreading point, the. sides nerveless or minutely 

 striate, the longer flowering ones about 4 lines long, about: 4.. outer empty ones 

 gradually shorter and- broader. Stamens- 8. Style scarcely dilated, minutely 

 cihate ; branches 3. Nut stipitate, ovoid, obtuse, slightly 3-ribbed, prominently 

 tuberculate when quite- ripe. — Ahildijaardia ichocenoides, E. Br. Prod. 229. 

 •Hab.: Isl'ands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, 11. Bruan. 



14. F. monostachya (1-spiked), I-Iaask. PI. Jav. Bar. 61 ; Benth. Fl. Jnstr. 

 vii. 308. Rhizome short, horizontal. Stems often thickened at the base, 

 otherwise slender, from under. 1ft. to l^ft. high. Leaves shorter, very narrow. 

 Spikelet Solitary, erect, -or .rarely accompanied by a second, or even a third 

 pedicellate one, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, more or less flattened, pale or nearly 

 white, 4 to. 7 lines long, 2 to 3 lines broad. Glumes distichous or at length more 

 or less spiral, cartilaginous, ovate, mostly- 2 lines long, the keel prominent and 

 produced into a short point, 1 or 2 lower empty ones narrow and more pointed. . 



