Sclerln.] CLII. CYPERACE^. 1799 



very narrow. Stamens usually 2. Glumes in the female spikelet 3 or 4, 

 broader than in the males, membranous, acuminate, no empty ones above the 

 flower. Nut ovoid-globular, white, reticulate. Disk adnate, with 8 short 

 undulate lobes, at first sometimes rather acute, but thickened and obtuse with 

 recurved sinuses under the ripe nut, the outer disk not prominent. — F. v. M. 

 Fragm. ix. 21 ; S. ^Jovm-HoUandia, Bceokel. in Flora, 1875, 120 (from the char, 

 given). 



Hftb.: Rockingham Bay, DnJteoftj/ ; Brisbane River, Baileij ; Port Mackay, Amalia DUtrkli. 



6. S. Brownii (after Dr. R, Brown), Kunth, Enum. ii. 849; Beiitii. Fl. 

 Amtr. vii. 429. Stems slender, 1 to 2t{. high. Leaves long and narrow, rather 

 rigid, very scabrous or nearly smooth, the sheaths oft^n. pubescent and slightly 

 fringed at the orifice, the floral leaves or bracts similar, the upper ones shorter, 

 but all leaf-like and distant. Spikelets androgynous or male, 2 to near 8 lines 

 long, several together in axillary and terminal sessile or pedunculate clusters. 

 Outer empty flumes 2 or 3, lanceolate, acuminate, the one under the female 

 flower much dilated, very narrow under the males. Male flowers very few above 

 the female in the androgynous spikelets, each with 1 or 2 stamens, more 

 numerous with 3 stamens each in the male spikelets. Nut ovoid or globular, 

 3-ribbed, more or less tub'erculate or granular, tipped with the short base of the 

 style. Disk with 3 broad spreading membranous obtuse or truncate lobes, and 

 often shortly arlstate within or below the lobes or both. — Boeekel. in Linnsea, 

 xxxviii. 453 ; F, v. M. Fragm. is. 21 ; S. distans, R. Br. Prod. 210, not of Poir. 



Hib.: Rockhampton, O'Shanesy and others ; Nerkool and Herbert's Creeks, Bowman; Oxley's 

 Station, LeieJ^hardt ; Dawson and Burnett Rivers, F. v. Mueller. 



6. S. lithosperma (nut stone-like), Wtlld. Kunth, Enum. ii. 349 ; Benth. 

 FL Austr. vii, 429. Stems slender, 1 to l|fti high. Leaves, very narrow-linear 

 and rather long, sometimes almost filiform, sheaths acutely 3-angled, usually 

 pubescent on the sides and slightly fringed at the orifice, the upper ones passing 

 into distant leafy bracts gradually shorter and more subulate. Peduncles 

 axillary and terminal, the lowest often much elongated, the upper ones very 

 short, each bearing 1 to 4 clusters' of 2 or 8 spikelets or the upper spikelet sessile 

 and solitary within the bract. Spikelets ,1^ to 2 lines long, more or less 

 androgynous or male. Outer glunies spreading, acuminate, 2 empty, the third 

 broader with a female flower and above it several sometimes numerous narrower 

 glumes with 1 or 2 stamens in each ; in the male spikelets the glumes arid 

 flowers more numerous and the stamens often 3. Nut ovoid, smooth and shining 

 or rarely slightly tubercitlate. Outer persistent disk broadly eupular, entire, 

 inner adnate one reduced to a brown ring or quite obsolete. — Boeekel. in Linnaea, 

 xxxviii. 451 ; F. v. M. Fralgm. ix. 21 ; S. capillaris, R. Br. Prod. 240 ; Kunth, 

 Enum. ii. 349; llypoporum capillare, Nees in Linnaja, ix. 303 ; H. Siebevi, Nees 

 in Sieb. Agrostoth. n. 97. 



Var. linearis. Leaves rather broader, inflorescence move branched with more numerous 

 Rpikelets, but the structure and disk the same. 



Hab.: Brisbane River, F. v. Mueller. 



The species is widely spread over tropical Asia* the var. linearis corresponds nearly to 

 Thwaites' var. 2 from Ceylon or Boeokeler's var. n. 1. 



7. S. tesselata (tes.selated), Willd. ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 343 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 vii. 430. Stems 1 to 2pt. high, rather slender. Leaves mostly 2 to 3 lines 

 broad, the sheaths acutely 3-angled and sometimes narrowly winged, quite 

 glabrous, produced into a short rounded glabrous or shortly clliate membrane or 

 ligula. Panicle 1 axillary or terminal, the terminal one narrow, 1 or 2in. long 

 with few erect branches, the axillary ones few, small, distant, pedunculate, the 

 subtending bracts leaflike, Spikelets not numerous, unisexual. Males narrow, 

 fully 2 lines long, with uumecous flowers, Glume.? narrowj obtuse, closely 



