1662 CXLI. JUNCACEJd). [Xerotes. 



5. X. effusa (weak), Lindl. in Mitch. Three Exped. ii. 101 ; Benth. Fl. 

 Austr. vii. 102. — Leafy base of the stem very short. Leaves densely tufted, long 

 and rush-like rarely above 1 line broad and 2-pointed at the end, with rather long 

 sheathing bases, the inner sheaths with scarious margins splitting into filaments. 

 Flowers in slender spreading panicles of 2 to 4in., nearly sessile within the tuft 

 of leaves. Scarious bracts under the branches and pedicels very prominent, 

 hyaline, ovate or lanceolate. Male flowers scattered along the branches, on 

 filiform pedicels shorter than or more frequently longer than the perianth, solitary 

 or rarely with a second more sessile flower within the same bract. Segments all 

 free, lanceolate, of a slender ahnost petal-like consistence, nearly 2 lines long. 

 Female flowers on shorter^nore rigid pedicels or quite sessile, rather longer than 

 the males. Capsule fully 4 lines diameter, the valves striate lengthwise.-^ 

 X. frafp-ans, F. v. M. ; Sond. in Linnaea, xxviii. 219. 



Hab.: Stanthorpe, J. Davidson. 



6. X. filiformis (thread-like), Ii. Br. Prod. 261 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 103. 

 Stems tufted, on a short hard rhizome, sometimes forming a very short branching 

 caudex. Leaves radical, narrow-linear, sometimes almost terete and filiform, 

 frequently canaliculate or flat and 1 to 2 lines broad or very rarely even broader ; 

 in luxuriant specimens 1 J to 2ft. long, in dwarf speciijaens or varieties under 6in., 

 varying as in other species smooth or slightly scabrous. Scape very short under 

 the inflorescence, terete or flat. Panicle narrow-pyramidal, sometimes almost 

 reduced to a simple raceme of 2 or 3in., almost sessile in the leaf-tufts, and 

 varying from that to a length of Gin. on a scape of 2 or 3in., but always much 

 shorter than the leaves, the branches short, the lowest often clustered. Flowers 

 small, globular or ovoid, scattered along the branches on short recurved pedicels, 

 each subtended by a narrow acute scarious bract shorter than the pedicel. 

 Perianth-segments 1 to 1^ line long, generally larger on the females than in the 

 males, the inner ones ovate or orbicular rather thick and petal-like, the outer 

 thinner shorter and greenish. Filaments very short, 3 attached to the centre of 

 the inner segments, 3 alternate with them at their base. No rudimentary ovary 

 in the males nor staminodia in the females. Capsule ovoid-globular, about 

 3 lines diameter, often oblique by the abortion of 1 or 2 of the cells, the pericarp 

 smooth, hard or almost fleshy, tardily opening. — Dracmna filiformis, Thunb. Diss. 

 Drac. 4 fig. 1 ; Xerotes Thmibergii, F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 208. 



Hab.: Moreton Bay, i'\ v. Mueller and others ; Darling Downs, Law ; Cooper's Creek, 

 Bowman; Eoekharapton, O'S/io.nesi/ ; EoeUingham Bay, DaHocfti/. 



7. X. elongata (lengthened), Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 106. Leafy base of 

 the stem very short. Leaves 1 to IJft. long, very narrow, their sheathing bases 

 rather long, with scarious margins splitting up into numerous filaments. Male 

 inflorescence on a short scape simple or more frequently branched, 2 to 3in. long, 

 with small globular clusters of sessile flowers. Scarious braeteoles united round 

 the flowers. Perianth above 1 line long when fully out, with a narrow turbinate 

 dark-coloured entire base and 6 equal lobes shorter than the tube. Female 

 flower-head solitary, globular, on a very short peduncle, the imbricate scarious 

 bracts very prominent, with long points exceeding the flowers. Perianth stipitate 

 within the bract, divided nearly to the base into petal-like segments above 1 line 

 long. 



Hab.: Moreton Island, F. v. Mueller. 



8. X. leucocephala (head of flowers white), R. Br. Prod. 260 ; Benth. Fl. 

 AusU\ vii. 109. Stems tufted with very short leafy bases. Leaves radical or 

 nearly so, 1 to 2ft. long and scarcely above 1 line broad, with scarious margins at 

 the base split into long fine filaments, and bordered here and there by a few 

 filaments higher up. Scapes much shorter, rarely attaining 1ft., slender and 



