1660 CXLI. JUNCACE^. [Xerotes, 



Staiaens all attached to the base of the segments. . . ; , 

 Bracts, at least the lower ones, with subulate points usually exceeding the' 

 flowers. Leaves often rigidly 2-toothed at the apex 2. X. longifolia. 



Series II. Fasciculatse. — Male flowers numerous in sessile clusters {irregular in X.. 

 sororia), but on pedicels exceeding the bracts. 



Capsule transversely rugose. 

 Flowers numerous, in distinct clusters along the branches of the panicle 



or along a simple rhachis B. X. muUi flora. 



Flowers all erect and irregularly clustered in a small narrow compact 



panicle 4. A', sororia. 



Sebies III. Sparsiflora:. — Male flowers pedicellate or rarely ,sfissile, singly: scattered in 

 simple racemes or loose panicles, rarely here and there 2 or 3 together. 



Panicles loose {usually on very short scapes). Perianth-segments all 

 similar, usually narrow or acuminate. 

 Hyaline bracts very prominent. Perianth-segments. nearly 2 lines long 5. A', effusa. 

 Panicles less branched or reduced to simple racemes. Inner perianth- 

 segments thicker than the outer, usually ovate or broad. . 

 Leafy base of the stems short and tutted. 

 Flowers pedicellate, in a narrow loos^ panicle or simple raceme ... 6. X.filiformis. 



Sect. 2. Cephalog'yne. — Male flotoers sessile in sessile or rarely pedunculate clusters or 

 heads usually several on a common rhachis, the perianth divided to the middle only into 6 equal 

 lohes. Female Aowers sessile in solitary sessile or very shortly pedunculate heads, the perianth 

 divided to the base into 6 equal segments. Leafy stems often elongated, especially in the females^ 

 the scapes or peduncles terminal or in the upper axils. 



Male flowers under 1 line or scarcely longer in several often numerous 

 clusters. 

 Leafy base of the stems very short. Leaves above 1ft. long. Female 

 heads very scarious on very short peduncles. 

 Sheathing bases of the leaves with scarious margins splitting into 

 numerous filaments 7. A', elongata. 



Sect. 3. Typhopsls. — Flower-heads or spikes globular or cylijtdrical, very dense, the 

 bracts split into dense masses of woolly hairs, males and females similar. 



Leafy base of the stem very short. Lea,ves 1 to 2ft. long 8. X. leucocephala. 



1. X. Banksii (after Sir Joseph Banks), E. Br. Prod. 263 ; Bc7ith. Fl. Austr.. 

 vii. 96'. Leafy base of the stem often lengthening to 5 or 6ft., rather thick, 

 densely covered with the sheathing bases of the leaves. Leaves distichous, 

 spreading, mostly under 1ft. long and about 3 lines broad, the sheathing bases with, 

 narrow scarious margins. Scapes stout, not long below the inflorescence. Male 

 flowers forming a panicle of Sin. to 1ft. with long sprea.ding open clustered branches, 

 the flowers sessile in globular clusters sessile along the branches and at their- 

 base. Bracts numerous, hyaline, much shorter than the perianths. Perianth- 

 segments all equal, ovate, thin, hyaline, about IJ line long when fully out. 

 Stamens 3 attached to the centre of the inner segments, 3 at their base alternating- 

 with them.' Ovary usually present and not much shorter than the perianth, but 

 narrow with imperfect stigmas and abortive ovules. Female inflorescence only 

 seen in fruit, either quite simple with dense globular clusters of numerous flowers, 

 or with a short branch bearing a small cluster proceeding from the lowest 

 cluster. Capsule about 3 lines diameter, smooth or strongly wrinkled. 



Hab.: Endeavour Eiver, Banks and Solander; Cooktown, Fitzalan ; Cape York Peninsula, 

 Hann's Expedition ; Cape York, Daemel ; frequent in islands ofE the coast, C. Moore ; and 

 apparently the same species, New Caledonia, Vieillard and others.— JScntft. 



2. X. longifolia (leaves long), R. Br. Prod. 262 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 97 

 "Chindirigan," Tully River, Roth. Leafy base of the stems very short and; 

 tufted. Leaves radical or nearly so, 1 to 3ft. long, flat or slightly concave, 

 varying from 1 to 3 lines in width, rather rigid, mostly 2 or more toothed at tha 

 apex, with a short membranous sheathing base. Scape from under 1ft. to nearly 

 3ft. high including the inflorescence, much flattened balow the panicle, which is 

 sometimes almost reduced to a short and few-flowered interrupted spike, but more- 



