Gfiustu.] CLir. OYPERAOBiE. 1797 



the lower empty ones shorter and more aristate. Persistent style-base brown, 

 often as long as the nut and slightly contracted at the base, more or less 

 pubescent at the time of flowering, usually glabrous on the ripe nut. — Kunth, 

 Enum. ii. S06, partly ; Guillem. Ic. PI. Austral, t. 14 ; F. v. M. Fragm. ix. 19 ; 

 llestio crixpatm, Nees in Sieb. Agrostoth. n. 87. 

 Hftb.: Islands of Moreton Bay and southern coastal swamps. 



25. SCLERIA, Berg. 

 (From slderla, hardness ; alluding to the indurated fruit.) 

 (Diplacnim, R. Br. ; Sphaavopus, Bmcltel.) 

 Flowers unisexual in unisexual or androgynous spikelets, the female flowers 

 always solitary in the spikelet, the males usually several, placed above 

 the female one in the androgynous spikelets. Glumes imbricate all round, 1 to 3 

 outer ones empty. No hypogynous bristles or scales. Stamens 1 to 3. Style 

 slender, deciduous, with 3 filiform stigmatic branches. Nut globular or ovoid, 

 usually white, raised on a thickened entire or more or less 8-lobed single or 

 double disk. — Perennials or rarely annuals. Stems triquetrous, leafy, the leaf- 

 sheaths often but not always terminating in a prominent ligula opposite the 

 lamina. Spikelets in clusters or small corymbose or oblong panicles, terminal 

 and axillary, or in a large compound terminal panicle. 



The genus is generally spread over the tiopioal and subtropical regions of the New and the 

 Old World, extending also into the temperate regions of North America. 



Series I. Axillares. — Imall annuals. Spikelets small, strictly iinise.i:ual, in little axillary 

 or terminal sessile clusters, the males with 1 to'i flowers. 



Two upper glumes of the female spikelets enclosing the nut and 3-toothed 1. S. caricina. 

 Twj upper glumes of the (eraale spikelets enclosing the nut and entire . . 2. S. pyymtea. 



Sehibs II. Iia,xse.~^>'eak jilnnts under 1 ft., prohahly annual. Hpikelets strictly unisexual, 

 in axillary clusters or few in loose spikes, the males with several flowers. 



Spikeletj in axillary eUnlers or small cymes. Outer persistent disk broadly 



cupula!', inner adnate, very shortly 3 lohed '.i. S. rugosa., 



Spikelets lew, small, in loose spikes. Outer disk scarcely prominent, inner 



adnate, shortly 3-iobed " 4. ,S. Inxa. 



Srr.rea III. Subspicatse. — Perennials. Inflorescence scarcely hranched. Fertile spikelets 

 more or less androgynous or at least with empty glumes above tlie female flower. 



Nut tu'ier.>iilate. ]>i«k-lobes broad, memhranons. spreading 3. S. Brou-nii. 



Nut smooth and shining. O.iter persistent disk, cupuliir, entire ; inner 



obsolete . . ... C. ,?. lithosperma. 



Nut tnberculate or reticulate. Disk-lobe; adnate, very short broad and 



thick ''■ '5. tesselata. 



Series IV. Polystachjrae. — Perennials. Paniele.-i hranched, axillary and terminal. 

 Spiltelets unisexual or the fertile ones androgynous. 

 Ijeaf-sheaths with acute angles scarcely or not at all winged. 

 Panicles scarcely branched. Nut tnberculate or reticulate, Disk-lobes 



very short and broad 7. '5. tesselata. 



Panicles dense, with numerous .spikelets. 

 Nut smooth and shining. Disk-lobes broad, obtuse, entire .... 8. S. margaritifera. 

 Nut rugose or nearly .smooth. Disk-lobes broad, denticulate at the 



end ^. S. Grceffenna. 



Leaf-sheaths distinctly winged on the angles. 



Panicle loose, not much branched. Disk-lobes acute . - W. S. hehecarpa. 



Panicle dense with numerous long subulate bracts. Disk-lobes brosid, 



usually very obtuse 11. S. chinensis. 



Seriks V. nioieee.— Spikelets strictly direeious, small, densely clustered, in numerous short 

 axillary and terminal panicles. 



Disk-lobes broad, membranous, spreading , . , 12. ,S. sphacelata.. 



Part VI. ji 



