100 RESTIONACEAE. 1. Lepyrodia. 



1. LEPYRODIA, R. Br. 



(Greek lepyrodes, furnished with bracts.) 



1. L. Muelleri, Benth. Stems simple, erect, 40-60 cm. high, from a creeping scaly 

 rootstock ; sheathing bracts appressed, with a short filiform blade, those under the 

 inflorescence looser ; flowers monoecious, in compound distant pale-brown spikes, forming 

 a narrow panicle ; upper floral bracts and glumes acuminate or obtuse ; perianth-segments 

 6, about 3 mm. long, acute ; ovary 3-angled, 3-celled ; capsule opening at the angles. 



Swamps at Tarpeena (South-East). 



2. LEPTOCARPUS, R. Br. 



(Greek leptos, thin ; karpos, fruit.) 



Flowers dioecious ; perianth-segments 6 or 5 ; stamens and style-branches 3 ; spikelets 

 of both sexes several-flowered ; ovary 1 -celled ; fruit angular, dehiscent. 



Male spikelets 2-4 mm. long ; females erect, free L. tenax 1. 



Male spikelets 5-12 mm. long ; females in short clusters. ... L. Brownii 2. 



1. L. tenax, R. Br. Stems simple, 50 cm. to 1 m. high, with dark appressed sheathing 

 bracts at intervals ; male spikelets about 3 mm. long, numerous in a loose panicle, reddish- 

 brown ; glumes obtuse ; perianth-segments hyahne, obtuse, 1 mm. long ; female spikelets 

 erect, about 10 mm. long, sessile, in a dense erect panicle, the lowest branch often distant ; 

 glumes acuminate ; the 2 outer perianth-segments complicate and keeled, longer than 

 the inner ones. 



Mount Lofty Range ; South-East. Summer. 



2. L. Brownii, Hook, f . Stems as in the preceding, the sheathing bracts shorter ; male 

 spikelets 5-12 mm. long, shortly pedicellate, few, in a short spreading panicle; glumes 

 acuminate ; perianth-segments linear ; female spikelets of 3-6 flowers (but each flower 

 looking like a 1 -flowered spikelet), the spikelets clustered in a short panicle or head 

 each flower with an acuminate glume and bracteole at base ; outer perianth-segments 

 glumelike, the inner smaller but thick. 



Eyre Peninsula ; South-East. Summer. 



3. HYPOLAENA, R. Br. 



(Greek hypo, below ; laina, a cloak : alluding to the bracteoles and empty glumes at the 



base of the spikelets.) 



Flowers dioecious ; perianth-segments 6 ; male spikelets several-flowered, female 

 1 -flowered ; stamens 3 ; style-branches 2-3 : ovary 1 -celled ; fruit an indehiscent nut. 



Male spikelets solitary, sessile within sheathing floral bracts H. lateriflora 1. 

 Male spikelets pedicellate in a small panicle H . fastigiata 2. 



1. H. lateriflora (R. Br.), Benth. Stems slender, branched and flexuose ; sheathing 

 bracts and floral bracts with short subulate spreading blades and woolly at the orifice ; 

 spikelets sessile, solitary within the distant floral bracts ; male flowers with 6 equal 

 perianth-segments ; female spikelets 4-6 mm. long, with acuminate rigid glumes ; 

 perianth-segments 4 or 6, hyaline ; nut almost globular. — Calostrophus lateriflorus, F. v. M. 



Mount Lofty Range. Summer. 



2. H. fastigiata, R. Br. Stems with flexuose branches and dark sheathing bracts with 

 an erect mucro ; male spikelets 6-8 mm. long, on slender white-tomentose pedicels, 

 numerous in a loose terminal panicle ; 2 outer perianth-segments complicate and keeled, 

 the next one flat and the 4 inner ones smaller ; female spikelets 6-10 mm. long, usually 

 terminal and solitary ; perianth-segments broadly ovate and resembling hypogynous 

 scales round the nut. 



Mount Lofty Range ; Kangaroo Island ; Flinders Range ; Eyre Peninsula ; Keith ; 

 South-East. Summer. 



4. LOXOCARYA, R. Br. 



(Greek loxos, oblique ; karyon, a nut.) 



1. L. fasciculata (R. Br.), Benth. Stems 10-20 cm. high, glabrous or pubescent ; 

 sheathing bracts brown, broad and loose at summit, truncate-mucronate, almost all 

 enclosing a dense cluster of angular barren often curved branches, 1-2^ cm. long ; female 

 spikelets sessile (male pedicellate ?) in the cluster of branches, 1-flowered, 4-5 mm. long; 

 glumes 6-7, closely imbricate, emarginate-mucronate, ciliate, 4-8-nerved ; style simple, 

 the stigmatic portion rather longer than the base ; perianth -segments none. Male spike- 

 lets not seen. 



Warunda and Edilillie, E. P. Summer. This may prove to be a variety of, or a 

 distinct species from the West Australian plant, which has long hairs on the stems and 

 more slender barren branches. 



