90 CYPERACEAE. 2. Schoerlus. 



16. C. Gunnii, Hook. f. Stem triquetrous, rather stout and tall ; leaves long and 

 scabrous on margin ; spikelets flat, reddish-brown, 5-12 mm. long, 6-12-flowered in dense 

 heads or very short spikes on the rays of a simple or compound umbel, the longest 

 rays 7-8 cm. long; involucral bracts 2-3, very long (sometimes to 1 m.), and 1 or 2 

 smaller, all scabrous ; glumes 3-4 mm. long, with 2-3 prominent nerves on each side of 

 keel, loosely imbricate ; nut triquetrous, § length of glume. 



Mount Lofty and Flinders Ranges ; Mount Gam bier in moist places. Summer. 



17. C. exaltatus Retz. Stem tall, stout, triquetrous ; leaves broad, scabrous on 

 margin; spikelets numerous, golden, linear, 8-12 mm. long, 14-30-flowered, spicate on 

 the rays of a large compound umbel ; rhachilla distinctly winged ; 2 or 3 of the involucral 

 bracts much longer than the umbel ; glumes obtuse, mucronate, 3-nerved on keel, the 

 lower deciduous ; nut trigonous, | as long as glume. 



River Murray ; Far North, near waterholes. Spring and Summer. 



Var. minor. Umbel smaller ; spikelets 3 mm. long, 6-flowered. River Murray. 



2. SCHOENUS, L. 



(Latin for some grass or reed, from Greek skhoinos.) 



Spikelets 2-5-flowered, capitate or paniculate, the uppermost flower often male or 



sterile ; slurries distichous, some of the outer ones empty ; stamens usually 3 ; style - 



branches 3 ; nut more or less trigonous or 3 -ribbed ; rhachilla flexuose between the flowers ; 



hypogynous bristles rarely absent. Perennials. 



A. Steins with leafy bracts and filiform basal leaves. 



B. Spikelets minute, with 1 fertile flower S. axillaris 1. 



B. Spikelets 4-6 mm. long, in terminal and axillary 



dusters. 

 Spikelets dark-brown. 



Hypogynous bristles present S. apojon 2. 



Hyposvnous bristles absent 8. tesquorum 3. 



Spikelets pale -colored S. sculptus 4. 



A. Leaves only at base of stem ; small plants. 



C. Hypogynous bristles present. 



Leafsheaths densely bearded S. deformis 5. 



Leafsheaths not bearded S. nitens 6. 



C. Hypogynous bristles absent ; dwarf plants. 



Fertile flower 1 ; nut wrinkled 8. Tepperi 7. 



Fertile flowers 2 ; nut smooth S. discifer 8. 



A. Leaves reduced to sheathing bases. 



D. No hypogynous bristles ; stamens usually 6. 



Spikelets in terminal head S. aphyllus 9. 



Spikelets in narrow panicle 8. brevifolius 10. 



D. Hypogynous bristles 6 ; spike let solitar}' 8. tenuissimus 11. 



1. S. axillaris (R. Br.), Poir. Small, weak plant with narrow leaves; spikelets 2-3 

 together in the axils, 2-flowered, but usually only 1 flower fertile ; hypogynous bristles 

 5-6, slender ; nut ovoid, white, 3-ribbed. 



Marshy places in Mount Lofty Range ; South-East. Sept. -Jan. 



2. S. apogon, Roem et Sch. Stems slender, 2-30 cm. high, with filiform leaves ; spikelets 

 dark-brown, 4-6 mm. long, 2-flowered, few together in terminal and axillary clusters ; 

 hypogynous bristles 6 ; nut white, globose, 3-ribbed. — S. Brownii, Hook. f. 



From South-East to Flinders Range ; Eyre Peninsula. Aug. -Dec. 



3. S. tesquorum, J. M. Black. Stems filiform compressed, striate, 20-40 cm. high, 

 with 2-3 leafy distant bracts with dark closed sheaths ; basal leaves capillary ; spikelets 

 reddish-brown, 6-7 mm. long, 2-flowered, pedicellate in clusters of 2-4, usually 1 cluster 

 terminal and another in the next leafy bract lower down on the stem ; hypogynous 

 bristles none ; nut white, trigonous, obovoid. 



From near Millicent eastward to Nangwarry, S.E. 



4. S. SCUlptus, Boeck. Like the preceding, but the spikelets not so dark and the upper 

 ones sometimes solitary, all 4-5-flowered ; hypogynous bristles none, or rarely 2-3 very 

 slender ones ; nut ovoid, shortly beaked, white, 3-ribbed and deeply pitted between the 

 ribs. 



Kangaroo Island ; Eyre Peninsula. Oct. -Nov. 



5. S. deformis, R. Br. Small ; leaves at base of stem with sheaths densely bearded at 

 the orifice and short recurved blades ; spikelet solitary and terminal, within the sheath 

 of a small bract, 3-4-flowered ; hypogynous bristles 6, densely hairy. 



Memory Cove, near Port Lincoln. Does not seem to have been rediscovered since 

 Robt. Brown's day. 



