CLII. CYPERACE^. 1789 



21. LEPIDOSPERMA, Labill. 

 (Alluding to the scaly appearance of the seed.) 

 Spikelets paniculate, sessile, scarcely flattened, with 2 or more flowers, the 

 uppermost alone fertile, or rarely only 1 flower, the rhachis very short. Glumes 

 almost distichous, several or only 1 or 2 outer empty ones gya,dually shorter, and 

 «> narrow empty one close above the flower enclosed in the flowering glume. 

 Hypogynous scales or bristles 6 or fewer by abortion, usually seta-like or very 

 ■thin and hyaline or minute at the time of flowering, enlarged under the fruit, 

 thickened white and almost spongy, acuminate or setiferous, closely appressed in 

 two rows to the base of the fruit and sometimes slightly co-hering to each other 

 at the base. Stamens 8, -or very rarely in abnormal flowers 4 or 5. Style 

 slender and deciduous, -with 3 or very rarely 4 filiform stigmatic branches. 

 Ovary crowned by a thick hemispherical or cushion-like hardened apex (or base 

 ■of the style ?). Nut ovoid or oblong, obtusely 3-angled except the continuous 

 ■obtuse apex. — Rhizome perennial. Stems flat, angular or terete. Leaves few at 

 the base of the stem, equitant and vertically flattened or angular or terete like 

 ■the stem, xisually of the same breadth, and only to be distinguished from it by 

 their sheathing base and their tapering to a fine point. Spikelets usually 

 numerous, clustered or singly sessile along the branches of a terminal panicle, 

 "which is either large and diffuse or long and erect, or short and dense or spike- 

 like. Outer bract subtending the panicle usually with an erect point or lamina, 

 which varies very much in length in the same species but rarely exceeds the 

 inflorescence, the bracts under the primary branches with short points to the 

 sheathing base, the inner ones more or less glume-like. ' ^-■' •^' 



The Australian species are perhaps all endemic, other species are lound in New Zealand and 

 -in South China. 



The genus is one of the most natural among Cyperaoeas, although when in flower it is 

 ahiefly distinguished by the foliage and inflorescence ; the principal technical characters, 

 *he peculiar hypogynous scales, can often be ascertained only under the ripe or far advanced 

 But. At the time of flowering the bristles arc often those of Schanus or of Tricostuleiria ; an the 

 ■ovary grows the peculiar apex is constant, so also are the full grown scales. In jiJI these 

 respects as well as in the position of the leaves, the inflorescence, the position of the 'flowers, 

 the terminal One hermaphrodite and fertile, the others when present male or barren, the 

 structure of the flowers and of the fruit there is no variation in the genus, and the species 

 can only be distinguished by vague characters derived from the shape of the stem and leaves, 

 ihe degree of development of the inflorescence, the number and shape of glumes, etc. The 

 JimJits of the species are therefore often very vague. — Senth. 



Sehies I. Iiong'ltudinales. — Stems flattened but very convene on both sides. Panicle 

 narrow mid dense, spikelike or with erect spikelike branches. 



Spikelets very ereet, with erect glumes. 

 Stems usually above 3 lines broad. Panicle Bin. long or more ..... 1. £. exattdtum. 



Series II. Senslflorae. — Stems flat or very slightly convex on one or both sides with acute 

 ■edges, 1 2 or rarely 3 lines broad. Panicle compound, slmrt and dense, broad pyramidal ovate 

 ■or rarely oblong, the branches or partial spikes sessile or nearly so in the clusters. 



Glumes acutely acuminate 2. L. concavum. 



Sebies III. Stenostachyae. — Stems either broad and very flat and thin, or when very 

 narrow slightly convex on one or both tides or angular. Panicle narrow, loose or elongated. 



Stems not resinous, very flat IJ to 2J lines broad with very acute edges . . 3. L. laterale. 



1. I., ezaltatum (tall), li. Br. Prod. 234 ; Benth. FL Austr. vii. 389. Stems 

 3 to 6ft. high, 3 to 4 lines broad, flattened but convex on both sides and oftea 

 hollow, the edges prominent, acute, .slightly scabrous. Leaves the same breadth. 

 OPanicle 6in. to 1ft. long, erect, compound, the branches and spikeletsnumerous 

 and erect. Lowest bract with a lamina rarely exceeding lin. Spikelets crowded, 

 S| to 3 lines long, with 1 rarely 2 barren -flowers iesldes the perfect one. Glumes 



