Scirptts.] CLII. CYPERACEiE. 1771 



prominent. Ilypogynoua bristles none or rarely few or minute. Stamens 8. 

 Style-branches 8. Nut prominently and acutely 8-angled. — Isolepis miindata, 

 Nees; Kunth, Enum. ii. 198; /. pralomjata, Nees; Kunth, 1.0.199; F. v. M. 

 Fragm. ix. 6. 



Hab.: Near Eookhanipton, Thozct. 

 Common in tropical Asia and Africa. 



_8. S. nodosus (knotty), Botth. DeHr. et 7c. PL 52, t.8 f.3; Benth. Fl. Atistr. 

 ■»ii. 331. Ehizome creeping. Stems rigid, rush-like, terete or slightly flattered, 

 1 to!8ft. high, leafless except the sheathing scales at the base. Spikelets small 

 and numerous, in a dense globular lateral head varying from 3 to 9 lines 

 diameter, the rigid erect irivolucral bract continuing the stem J to l|in. long. 

 Spikelets ovoid, 2 to 3 lines long in the ordinary form, about 2 lines diameter, of 

 a dark brown. Glumes broadly' ovate, obtuse or scarcely mucronate, their base 

 rather rigid almost scarious, nerveless or finely nerved, the keel scarcely 

 prominent. No hypogynous bristles, but the torus slightly produced within the 

 stamens into a minutely 3-toothed. Style-branches 8. Nut short, broad, sraooth 

 and shining, the inner face flat, the back more or less distinctly angled. — Bcockel. 

 in Linnasa, xxxvi. 718 ; 7so/r/'/v nodosa, R. Br. Prod. 221 ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 

 199 ; Nees in PI. Preiss. ii. 73 ; Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 87 ; Rich, Fl. Nov. Zel. 

 t. 18 ; F. V. M. Fragm. ix. G. 



Hab.: Stradbroolc Island, F. M. B. 



Tlie species is also in New Zealand, South Ahica, and extvatropieal South Americi. 



The first three species have nearly the habit of the last two or three of the section Isolepis, 

 the others are all tall and stout. The S. aeicvhris, with the habit of the email slender species 

 of Heleocharis or Fimbristylis, but with the characters of Eiischpits, so common in the 

 temperate regions of the norihern heniiSjihere, has not yet been found in Australia. 



9- S. debilis (weak), Pursli ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 159 ; Bunth. Fl. Austr. vii. 

 332. Very nearly allied to S. supmiir, and referred to it as a variety by Bceckeler, 

 but differs in the glumes and nuts as well as in the bristles. Stems often 1ft. 

 high or more, erect, less rigid than in the following species but more so than in 

 S. supinus. Spikelets lateral, in close clusters of 2 or 3 or solitary, the erect 

 involucral bract continiiing the stem. Spikelets ovoid or ovoid-oblong, 3 to 5 

 lines long, 2 to 3 lines diameter. Glumes numerous, closely imbricate, not at 

 all or scarcely deciduous, broad almost orbicular, concave, keeled only at the 

 summit, obtuse or minutely pointed. Hypogynous bristles 4 to 6, longer or 

 shorter than the nut. Stamens 2. Style-branches 2. Nut much flattened, 

 minutely rugose or dotted in Indian and American specimens, almost muricate 

 in the Australian ones examined. — S. juncoides, Roxb. ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 160; 

 S. supmus, .\a,r. ft. and y. Bceckel. in Linnfea, xxxvi. 700, 701. 



Hab.: Oainsford, Vowman. 



Also in East India and North America. 



10. S. tnucronatus (pointed), Tjlmi. ; Kunth, F.mim. ii. 161 ; Uentli. Fl. 

 Austr. vii. 332. Stems tufted, stout, very acutely 3-angled, I to 3ft. high, 

 leafless except; the sheathing scales at the base, the- innermost ones sometimes 

 produced into a short point. Spikelets rather numerous, in a dense lateral sessile 

 cluster ; the erect involucral bract perfectly continuous with the stem and 1 to 

 2in. long^. 1 Spifeelets'ovoid-oblong, 4 to 6 lines long, 2 to 3 lines diameter, pale 

 brown. Glumes ovate, concave, obtuse or almost acute, membranous, more or 

 less striate, the keel promiqent and often green in the upper part. Hypogynous 

 bristles 6 or fewer, usually longer than the n«t. Style-branches 3. Nut rather 

 small, generally dark coloured, the broad inner face flat, the back convex or 

 angled.— R. Br. Prod. 223 ; Reichb. Ic. PI. Germ. 303 ; Bceckel. in Linnaja, 

 xxxvi. 703 ; F. v. M. Fragm. ix. 8. 



Hab.: Brisbane Itiyer, Moreton Bay, 1< . v. Mueller, C. Stuart,' Bailey; Dairitree Eiver, 

 JPitzalan ; Burnett Eiver, F. v. Mueller ; Eookingham Bay, Didlachy. 



Also in tropical and temperate Asia and in Earope. 



