5. Lepidobolus. RESTIONACEAE. 101 



5. LEPIDOBOLUS, Nees. 



(Greek lepis, lepidos, a scale ; bolos, throwing away : the sheathing bracts of the stems 



are very deciduous.) 



1. L. drapetocoleus, F. v. M. Stems simple, rigid, but flexuose in upper part, with distant 

 brown rings which are the remains of the sheathing bracts ; flowers dioecious, both male 

 and female in many-flowered spikelets, which form terminal, globular heads, 5-7 mm. 

 diam. ; glumes brown, truncate -mucronate ; perianth -segments 5, the 2 outer concave, 

 keeled, the 3 inner ones flat ; style simple. 



Southern districts ; South-East. Summer. 



Family 24— CENTROLEPIDACEAE. 



Flowers bi- or unisexual, surrounded by 1-3 capillary scales, or naked, arranged in ter- 

 minal heads or spikes ; stamen 1, with a 1 -celled anther ; carpels 1 or more, when several 

 they are superposed spirally in 2 rows, each with a slender style and 1 pendulous ovule ; 

 pericarp membranous ; seed albuminous. Small annuals, with filiform radical leaves, 

 the sheaths open on one side. 



Flowers in a depressed head, surrounded by bracts Trithuria 1. 



Flowers in a flat spike, with several distichous bracts Brizula 2. 



Flowers in a short spike or head, within 2 alternate bracts . . Centrolepis 3. 



1. TRITHURIA, Hook. f. 

 (Greek treis, three ; thyrion, a little door : alluding to the valves of the fruit. ) 

 1. T. submersa, Hook. f. Dwarf glabrous annual, 1-3 cm. high, with filiform leaves 

 and scapes, usually red ; flowers several, without perianth, closely packed in a terminal 

 head, with 4 lanceolate 1 -nerved bracts at base, 3-4 mm. long ; styles 3, septate, often 

 bifid ; capsule triquetrous, opening from the base in 3 valves and 3 filiform nerves. 

 River Murray ; Kangaroo Island ; South-East. Summer. 



2. BRIZULA, Hieron. 

 (Diminute of Briza, because the flower-spikes resemble the spikelets of that grass.) 

 Flowers monoecious, solitary within distichous bracts, forming a flat terminal spike, 

 the males (each of a single stamen, with or without a scale) few at the base of the spike, 

 the females (each of a single carpel) above ; style undivided. 



Spike turned to one side B. gracilis 1. 



Spike erect B. pumilio 2. 



1. B. gracilis (Sond.), Hieron. Scapes filiform, 15-25 mm. high ; spike ovate, 4-5 mm. 

 long, bent to one side ; bracts about 8, hairy, the lowest much longer than the others 

 and containing 1 or 2 male flowers, each within a hyaline scale ; the female flowers without 

 scales. — Aphelia gracilis, Sond. 



Beside creeks in southern districts and South-East. Sometimes grows with Cyperus 

 which it resembles. Summer. 



2. B. pumilio (F. v. M.), Hieron. Like the preceding in size, but the bracts 8-16, more 

 pointed, with broader membranous margins ; spike erect, the 2 lowest bracts spreading 

 and often long, each containing 1-3 male flowers within scales ; female flowers also within 

 folded unequal-sided scales. 



Southern districts and South-East. Summer. 



3. CENTROLEPIS, Labill. 

 (Greek kentron, a spur ; lepis, a scale : the 2 floral bracts have long points.) 

 Flowers bisexual, each with 1-3 hyaline scales and forming a spike or head enclosed 

 within 2 herbaceous floral bracts ; stamen 1 ; carpels 3 or more, united in spiral rows, 

 each with an undivided style, free or united towards base. 



A. bracts much exceeding flowers. 



Lower bract with a curved awn, 5-10 mm. long C. polygyria 1. 



Lower bract with a straight awn, 10-35 mm. long.. . . C. aristata 2. 

 A. Bracts not twice as long as flowers. 



Bracts glabrous C. glabra 3. 



Bracts hairy C. fascicularis 4. 



A. Bracts scarcely exceeding flowers. 



Bracts hairy C. strigosa 5. 



Bracts glabrous C. Drummondii 6. 



