13. Carex. CYPERACEAE. 97 



3. L. gladiatum, Labill. Sword Rush. Stems rigid, over 1 m. high, 8-20 mm. broad, 

 biconvex with sharp edges ; leaves similar but flatter ; panicle dense, thick, or the lower 

 branches spreading, 4-15 cm. long ; spikelets pale-brown, 6-8 mm. long, with or without a 

 barren flower below the fertile one ; scales thick, with ciliate points. 



On sandy coasts. Summer. 



4. L. concavum, R. Br. Stems 20-50 cm. high, flat, or slightly convex on one side, 

 3-5 mm. broad ; leaves the same ; panicle narrow, dense, 3-8 cm. long ; lowest bract \ as 

 long, or sometimes as long as panicle, the upper bracts long-awned, glumes brown, acu- 

 minate ; hypogynous scales broad, shortly pointed, ciliate at summit. 



Southern districts. Summer. 



5. L. laterale, R. Br. Stems 40-100 cm. high, 4-7 mm. broad, flat or somewhat concave ; 

 panicle narrow, loose, 10-20 cm. long, the spikelets distinct or rarely clustered, with 1 

 barren flower below the fertile one ; glumes acuminate ; lowest bract much shorter than 

 panicle ; scales with long ciliate points, sometimes as long as the shining nut. 



Southern districts as far east as Lameroo ; South-East. Most of the year. 



6. L. congestum, R. Br. Stems 10-20 cm. high, flat or biconvex, 2-3 mm. broad ; leaves 

 similar ; panicle almost spikelike, 2\-l cm. long, the spikelets clustered ; subtending 

 bracts all awned, pungent-pointed ; spikelets about 4 mm. long. 



Eyre Peninsula. Perhaps only a form of L. concavum. 



7. L. lineare, R. Br. Stems 20-80 cm. high, 1J-2| mm. broad, biconvex with acute 

 edges ; leaves similar ; panicle narrow, 2-5 cm. long, with almost erect branches ; lowest 

 bract sometimes long ; spikelets not numerous, 5-6 mm. long, acute ; scales with ciliate 

 points. 



Mount Lofty Range. Summer. 



8. L. viscidum, R. Br. Scarcely differs from L. concavum and L. laterale except in the 

 rough brown viscid margins of the stems and leaves, and represents probably a form of 

 those species in which these resinous exudations take place. The viscid line sometimes 

 almost or quite disappears. 



Southern districts. Summer. 



9. L. canescens, Boeck. Stems slender, 25-60 cm. high, cylindrical, or slightly com- 

 pressed and with blunt edges, f-1^ mm. broad ; inner leaf blades cylindrical or biconvex 

 and grooved on inner face ; panicle narrow, 3-5 cm. long, almost spikelike, or usually with 

 erect branches near base ; spikelets grey, distinct, often curved, 6-8 mm. long ; scales 

 with short ciliate points. 



Southern districts ; Kangaroo Island ; South -East. Summer. 



10. L. semiteres, F. v. M. Like the preceding, but the inner leafblades are flatter. 

 Mount Lofty Range. These 2 species are poorly distinguished and should probably 



be united. 



11. L. striatum, R. Br. Stems about 1 m. high, cylindrical, rigid, 2-4 mm. diam. ; 

 pith interrupted ; panicle pyramidal, 8-10 cm. long, with spreading-erect branches ; 

 floral bracts short, black, mucronate ; spikelets 4-6 mm. long, in dense clusters along the 

 branches, 2-flowered, the lower flower barren ; glumes brown, finely pubescent, the lower 

 ones obtuse -mucronate ; hypogynous scales broad, with a short ciliate point. 



Mount Ilbillie, Everard Range. Differs from description in the number of barren 

 flowers and may be an undescribed species. 



12. L. carphoides, F. v. M. Stems filiform (f mm. diam.), rigid, grooved on one side, 

 about 40 cm. high ; leaves similar ; panicle short, sometimes with a flexuose rhachis 

 supporting th^ clusters or partial spikes, which are often finally fanshaped ; subtending 

 bracts and glumes black, the former awned ; spikelets with 1 barren and 1 fertile flower ; 

 scales broad, with points ciliolate at summit ; nut pointed. 



Southern districts ; Eyre Peninsula ; South-East. Summer. 



13. CAREX, L. 

 (Latin name of some kind of rush.) 

 Flowers unisexual, in unisexual or androgynous spikelets, which are terminal, or also 

 distant along the stem ; glumes imbricate all round the rhachilla ; ovary enclosed in a 

 membranous sack or utricle, from which the 2- or 3-fid style emerges ; stamens usually 

 3 ; nut compressed or trigonous, enclosed in the persistant utricle. Perennials (" Sedges ") 

 with grass-like leaves and usually with creeping rootstock, inhabiting moist places. 

 A. Spikelets all androgynous ; style-branches 2. 

 B. Spikelets few, in a terminal spike. 



Spikelets 3-5 C. inversa 1. 



Spikelets 6-12 C. chloraniha 2. 



B. Spikelets numerous, in a long narrow panicle. 



Stems trigonous C. appressa 3. 



Stems cylindrical * C. tereticauliv 4. 



D 



