T. Holm — Studies in the Cyperaceoe. 173 



Bliite," while Goebel, in his interesting paper on some Cyper- 

 acece from Java, considers the flower as possessing only one 

 pro phy lion, but is uncertain as to the definition of the other 

 scale : " Jede Bliite besitzt zwei Schuppen, das eine derselben 

 wird als Yorblatt zu bezeichnen, das andere ist mir unklar 

 geblieben." 



As regards the flower itself, we have noticed only one stamen 

 in L. maculata and two, seldom three stigmata ; purely pistil- 

 late flowers with rudiments of a stamen were, also, observed. 

 In this respect L. maculata agrees with L. argentea, as 

 described by Goebel, with the exception that the anther of the 

 stamen in this last species was observed to be two-celled instead 

 of four-celled, as we invariably noticed in L. maculata and Z. 

 microcephala. Concerning the systematic position of our 

 genus with its " mediane scales" and "one-flowered spikelets," 

 it seems that Robert Brown was justified in separating it from 

 Richard's Hypolytrum, the flower of which is generally 

 described as possessing " two lateral prophylla." It is difficult 

 at present to point out the nearest allies to our genus, con- 

 sidering that it shows some affinities to Hemicarpha, as sug- 

 gested by Pax in his treatment of this group for Engler's and 

 Prantl's work upon the natural families. Further researches 

 on the morphological structure of the other genera may pos- 

 sibly assist us in determining its correct place within the order, 

 especially when combined with such peculiarities as may be 

 observed in the anatomical structure. In this last respect 

 Lipocarpha is very interesting, and in order to make our study 

 as complete as possible, we shall briefly discuss some of the 

 most important features, which we have observed in L. macu- 

 lata Kth. from subtropical Florida, Z. argentea R.Br, from 

 Nilagiri in Eastern India and Hongkong, Z. sphacelata R.Br, 

 from the Isthmus of Panama and Z. microcephala Kth. from 

 Japan. 



The stem above ground, 



the scape, is cylindrical and more or less furrowed in the 

 species examined. The cuticle is thin and perfectly smooth. 

 The epidermis is here developed into several strata (from two 

 to four) between the subepidermal bundles of stereome. A 

 considerable variation is to be noticed in the outer epidermis, 

 as regards the thickening of the outer cell- walls and the lumen 

 of the individual cells. Thus we find a strongly thickened 

 epidermis in Z. argentea, but one with very thin walls in Z. 

 7dicrocephala. The epidermis-cells above the stereome are 

 usually smaller than those surrounding, and contain the char- 

 acteristic silicious cones, which we have often described in our 

 previous papers on this order. These cone-bearing cells are 



