Cyperacea.} 



CHINA. 



229 



39. a, b. Culmi rigidi, 1|~2 pedes alti, pennae gallinacea? vel scriptoria? tenuioris crassitie, subtorti, inferne 

 tereti-eompressi, superiora versus vel semiteretes vel ina?qualiter ex subtereti-uniangulati, striati, laeves, 

 glauci. Folia Jasciculorum (scil. folia radicalia in faseiculos solito more collecta) gernina, vagina 

 aphylla amplexa, culmo breviora, stricta, e semitereti compressa, apicem versus potius trigona, apice 

 rigido fusco, margine laevia. Vagina striata?, spice obtuse carinatae margine fusco-membranaceo in ligulam 

 folio adnatara concurrente. Cultnea duo, fasciculorum foliis similia, paullo crassiora, basi compresso- 

 semiteretia, apice tereti-trigona; vagina ut in illis. Spica 2-C-pollicaris, decomposita, e spicis partialibus 

 6-10 approximatis, alternis, tri-unipollicaribus, summis semipollicaribus. Rachis depresso-semi-teres, lasvis, 

 altero latere canaliculato. Bractea sub singula spica partiali ovalis, scariosa, fusca, basi vaginans, apice 

 contracto in mucronem rectum linearem planum obtusum procurrens, spica partiali brevior, nervoso- 

 -striata pruinosa. Spicce partiales C-5, alterna?, approximata?, ovata?, l-lj poll, longa?, bracteatae. Spi- 

 cules in ramulo suo subimbricata?, geminae vel solitariae, bracteola communi simili aristulata longitudine 

 spicularum stipatae, lanceolatse, 1 ^-2 lin. longae, compressa?, squamis 5-6 aequalibus trifariam imbricatis char- 

 taceo-cartilagineis, oblongis, acutis, infra apicem mucronulatis, carinatis, subenerviis, basi tenuioribus pallide 

 rufis, apice crassioribus fuscis scabriusculis rigidioribus, omnibus praater penultimam, quae mascula, et termi- 

 nalem quae minor teneriorque et pallidior, sterilibus exstructa?. Stamina tria, antheris linearibus mucronu- 

 latis. Urceoli denticulati vestigia ovarium fulcientia. Stylus ad medium usque trifidus; ovarium oblongurn, 

 trigonum, in styli basin crassiusculam connivens. Spica fructifera major, subnutans. Caryopsis nucamen- 

 tacea, ovalis, subtrigona, mucronulata, fusca, albo-irrorata, laevis, basi perigynio brevi obconico cartilagineo 

 acute sexdentato albo suffulta. 



[Our specimen, also collected by the Rev. Mr. Vachell, and under the same number from Professor Hens- 

 low, does not quite agree with the above description ; we, therefore, insert also the specific character we had 

 drawn up previously to receiving that by Prof. Nees von Esenbeck : — Culmo (apicem versus saltern) aphyllo 

 glaberrimo laavi tereti-compresso apice uniangulato, rachi leniter flexuosa, spiculis oblongis in spicis densis 

 dispositis, spicis erectis inferioribus compositis ovato-oblongis breviter pedunculatis mediis subsessilibus, 

 ovatis superioribus simplicibus confertim glomeratis, bracteis pruniosis omnibus spica propria multo breviori- 

 bus, squamis oblongo-lanceolatis, exterioribus obtusiusculis sterilibus, interioribus carinatis acuminatis. — Thus 

 the principal difference consists in the lower partial spikelets of our plant being peduncled, and forming a 

 kind of panicle.] 



TRIB. VI. ScLERIEiE. N. ab E. 

 14. SCLERIA. Berg.; N. ab E. I. c. 

 1. S. ciliaris. N. ab E. I. c. p. 117. (cum char.) 

 Hab. In vicina Macao urbis ; Millett; Vachell, n. 40. 



Culmus 1-2-pedalis altus, basi bulbosus, et purpureus. Folia inferiora culmum cequantia, 2 lineas lata, 

 rloralia 4-3 pollices longa, 2| lineas lata, omnia apice attenuata, apice ipso obtuso. Panicula axillarcs, 1-3, 

 saturate purpureas, 1^-2 poll, longae, basi ramosa?, apice ramisque simpliciter spicatis. Bractea subulata?, 

 basi dilatata purpurea, pilis rigidis ciliata. Spicula gernina?, confertae. 



[To the description and character given by Prof. Nees Von Esenbeck, wc may add that the caryopsis is at 

 first only slightly rugulose, the elevated parts being covered with numerous short bristles : afterwards it is 

 almost or quite glabrous ; the lobes of the hypogynium are obtuse and not more than one-fourth the length 

 of the caryopsis. The margins of the leaves and sheaths are often only slightly scabrous.] 



[2. S. Neesiana; culmo argute triquetro stricto angulis scabris, foliis strictis linearibus 

 acuminatis apice obtusiusculo supra versus apicem margineque scabris, vaginis trialatis mar- 

 gine scabris, lobulo oppositifolio brevi subrotundo villoso-ciliato, paniculis axillaribus ter- 

 minalique spicato-decompositis breviter pedunculatis ovatis, bracteis e basi dilatata brevi- 



