393 cypeeacBjE. 



slightly compressed or 3-at)gled at the top. Leaves very short, narrow-linear 

 and stiff. Spikelets oblong, 4 to 6 lines long, usually 5 to 7 in a simpleor 

 slightly compound umbel, with 1 to 3 nan-ow leafy bracts, seldom exceeding 

 the longest peduncle. Glumes broad, rounded at the top, with a minute 

 point, brown, but more or less hoary in the upper part. Style 3-cleft, flat- 

 tened, ciliate, Nut sessile, brown, smooth and shining. — F. arvemis, Vahl ; 

 Kunth, Enum. ii. 237. 



Hongkong, Eance, Harland. Dispersed over the tropical and subtropical regions of the 

 New and the Old World, but evidently not so common as some other species. 



7. r. diphylla, VaM, Enum. ii. 289. Stems slender, f to \\ ft. high. 

 Leaves tufted, nan-ow-linear, glaucous, glabrous or pubescent, much shorter 

 than, or sometimes nearly as long as, the stem. Spikelets ovoid-pblong, 

 scarcely acute, 3 to 6 lines long, more or less numerous in a compound umbel. 

 Glumes broad, shortly mucronate, quite glabrous, brown, with a pale or green 

 keel or centre. Style 2-cleft, flat, ciliate on the edges. Nut sessile, obovate, 

 white or pale brown, with minute longitudinal striae. — F. communis, Kunth, 

 Enum. ii. 234. 



Hongkong, Wright ; at Little Hongkong, Wilford.- Common in tropical and subtropical 

 Asia and Africa; also in tropical America, if the F. hrizoides, Nees, is not really distinct. 



Var. tomentosa. Leaves, especially their sheaths, softly hairy. — F. tomentosa, Yahl, 

 Enum. ii. 290. 



Hongkong, Wright. Occurs here and there in tropical Asia with the glabrous farm. 



Var. ? leptophylla. Leaves narrow, almost subulate, like those of F. hispidiila, Kunth, 

 but perfectly glabrous. Spikelets and nnts entirely as in the common form. 



Hongkong, Hance, Harland, Wright. I do not find precisely the same form in any of 

 our Indian collections, although some of the narrower-leaved ones come very near to it. 



8. F. squarrosa, Vahl; Kunth, Enum. ii. 22i. A small densely-tufled 

 pale-green species, seldom attaiidng 6 in. Leaves narrow-linear or subulate, 

 flaccid, shorter than the stem. Umbel compound, with 3 or 4 narrow leafy 

 bracts seldom exceeding the rays. Spikelets oblong, 2 to 3 lines long, green 

 or pale brown. Glumes ovate, glabrous or pubescent ; the green keel pro- 

 jecting into a point, often spreading and sometimes very long. Style 3-cleft, 

 scarcely ciliate, but the bulb of the base fringed with a few long hairs, which 

 are closely reflexed on the ovaiy and fruit. Nut obovate, sessile, smooth or 

 minutely punctate. 



Hongkong, Harland, Wright; in paddy-fields, Wilford. Very common in tropical and 

 subtropical Asia and Africa. 



9. P. aestivalis, Vahl; Kunth, Enum. ii. 336. A small, densely tufted 



plant, like F. sqnarrosa, and not always easily distinguished from it except by 



the constant absence of the reflexed hairs at the base of the style. Leaves 



usually veiy few, the leafy bracts longer than the umbel. Spikelets usually 



rather smaller than in 1\ squarrosa, and the glumes less mucronate. 



Hongkong, Wright, Wilford. Gathered with the last and dispersed with it over tropical 

 Asia. 



10. P. Wightiana, Neea ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 241. Ehizome creeping. 

 Leaves densely tufted, short, stiff', nan-ow-linear, rather obtuse, falcate or 

 spreaduig. Stems 3 oi- 4 in. to near 1 ft. high. Umbel compound, but veiy 

 compact ; the leafy bracts very short. Spikelets ovate, obtuse, about 2 lines 

 long. Glumes brown, broad, obtuse, with a scarious margin. Style deeply 



