591 



fructiferous one in distinct plants : male plants sometimes loosely, 

 sometimes closely thyrse-flo-wered, aU below longer or shorter, 

 flowerless: each, spikelet sessile at the tooth of the axis, ovate : 

 glumes 2, 7 — 9-nerved, inner one a little shorter : florets 2, sessile, 

 males 2-valved, the substance of the glumes, valves equal acute, 

 lower 2 — 7-, upper 2-nerved : anthers 3 : axes of the fructiferous 

 - plant capitate, 1 -flowered, rest as in the male but commonly longer: 

 spikelet solitary, sessile at the base of the axis, lanceolate : glumes 

 2, equal, acuminate, 7 — 9-nerved: lower floret neuter, 1 — 2-valved, 

 lower valve 5-nerved, upper, when present, very small : hermaph- 

 rodite equalling the neuter : lower valve 3 -nerved, embraciag the 

 upper : styles two, connate at the base, elongated : fruit oval. 



(1) S. SQUAEEOstrs. (Linn. J 



Ident. Linn. Mant. 300. 



8yn. Stipa spinifex, Linn. Mmt. 34. 



Ungram. Eheede Mai. xii. t. 76. 



Spec. Chae. Frutescent: culms large, glaucous, fasciculate-leafy 

 at the knots : leaves convolute, recurved-patent, stiff, pungent : 

 sheaths woolly at the mouth the rest striated, with the spikelets 

 and leaves glabrous : male axes floriferous : bracts of the capitules 

 fascicled, very large, involucres mucronate. 



Sandy shores of the Peninsula, on both coasts. 



GEJniS XIII. LOPHOLEPIS. 

 monoecia. Triandria. Sex: Syst: 



Deriv. From Lophos a crest, and Lepis a scale. 



Gen. Chae. Spikelets monoecious or polygamous, congested 

 into a terminal, linear-cyHndric, erect, many-flowered raceme : 

 rhachis straight, pedicels thickened upwards, ciliated, jointed at the 

 geniculate base : paleae 2, laterally compressed, minutely elevate- 

 dotted, acutely keeled : awns diaphanous, pectinate-cUiate, in- 

 creased by ciHae, hooked at the apex, outer one globose at the 

 base, palese-shaped, 2-crested, inner much smaller, furnished with a 

 strong tooth below the apex, 1 -crested beneath: caryopsis covered 

 with hardened paleae, oblong, sub-acuminate, gibbous at the base 

 above, depressed below. 



(1) L. oenithocephala. (Sook.) 

 Ident. Hook. Bot. Misc. II. t. 76, (under HollboUia.) 



