98 MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [Vol. 9, No. 1 



There is also some doubt as to the identity of Scirpus capillaris L. Linnaeus 

 gives the distribution as "Virginia, Aethiopia, Zeylona," but his ''type" specimen 

 probably came from Clayton, in America. It certainly agrees with the American "B. 

 capillaris," which has obtuse pubescent glumes, and not with the Indian plant, 

 the glumes of which are acute and glabrous. There is also a striking difference 

 in the achenes of the two plants, that of the American species being transversely 

 wrinkled, while the achene of B. densa has a puncticulate surface. The Brass ma- 

 terial from Nyasaland is a good match of the Indian plant. 



Scirpus rogersii N. F. Brown, Kew Bull. 1921: 301. 1921. 



Kasungu District: Kasungu, common in open muddy bed of a stream, 1000 m., 

 Aug. 28, 1946, 1744S. S. Rhodesia. New to Nyasaland. 



Scirpus muricinux C. B. Clarke, Bot. Jahrb. 38: 135. 1906. 



Scirpus paludicola C. B. Clarke in Dyer, Fl. Cap. 7: 231, partim. 1898. 



Kota-kota District: Chia area, muddy edges of waterholes on dry lake plain, 

 shoots prostrate, 480 m., Sept. 5, 1946, 17541. Rhodesia, Orange Free State. 

 New to Nyasaland. 



Scirpus fluitans L. Sp. PI. ed. 2. 71. 1762. 



lsolepis fluitans (L.) R. Br. Prodr. 221. 1810. 

 Eleocharis fluitans (L.) Hook. Brit. Fl. 24. 1830. 



Mlanje District: Mlanje Mountain (southwest ridge), submersed in rocky parts 

 of a stream, in dense masses, 2120 m., June 28, 1946, 16516. Old World; moun- 

 tains only in tropics, widespread in cooler parts. 



Fuirena nyasensis Nelmes, sp. nov. 



Affinis F. chlorocarpae Ridl., sed inflorescentia explicatiore, spiculis majori- 

 bus, squamis pallidioribus majoribus praecipue differt. 



Herba dense caespitosa. Culmi 80-90 cm. alti, erecti, prominenter sed obtuse 

 trigoni, basin versus claro-purpurei et angulis parce pubescentes, superne glabri 

 et virides, rigiduli, subgraciles (inferne circiter 2 mm. crassi, sursum gracilioresX 

 nodosi, e nodis vaginis plerumque 2-3 cm. longis ortis, vaginae basales vix la- 

 minatae, sursum longius laminatae; laminae planiusculae vel leviter involutae, 

 3-5 mm. latae, apicem versus longe acuminatae, obliquae vel valde reflexae, mar- 

 ginibus partim et nervo mediano subtus parce pubescentes; vaginae basilares 

 parce pubescentes, superiores ore pubescente excepto glabrae; internodia inferi- 

 ora 6j9 cm. long, superiora usque 17 cm. longa. Bracteae 2, reflexae, inferiore 

 2.5-3.5 cm. longa breviter vaginante, superiore minore vix vaginante; laminae et 

 vaginae albo-hirtellae. Inflorescentia capita duo spicarum formans, spicis conti- 

 guis vel approximatis, 3.5-5 cm. longa, utroque capite e spicis circiter 5-20 fas- 

 ciculatis composita, ambitu pyramidata vel subglobosa. Spicae digitatae, expli- 

 catae, densiflorae, brunneae, ovoideo-lanceolatae, 5-9 mm. longae, 3.5-4 mm. 

 crassae (aristis exclusis). Squamae oblongo-ovatae, 2.5-2.75 mm. longae (aristis 

 exclusis), 1.75-2 mm. latae, cymbiformes, apice rotundatae, tenuiter membra- 

 naceae, tr anslucentes, inferne glabrescentes vel minute adpresse pubescentes, 

 superne parce vel subdense pubescentes, marginibus parce vel subdense ciliola- 

 tae, pallidae se apicem versus interdum fuscae, castaneo-maculatae, latere 

 cnerves vel tenuissime nervosae, nervo mediano cum 2 lateralibus apicem versus 

 confluente in aristam parce setulosam strictam vel leviter curvatam vel flexuosam 

 1-1.5 mm. longam excurrente. Stamina 3. Setae hypogynae 6, nuci aequilongae, 

 minute retrorse scabridae, filiformes. Nux late ellipsoideo-obovoidea, trigona, 

 angulis incrassata, circiter 1.5 mm. longa (stipite rostroque inclusis), circiter 0.8 

 mm. lata, brunneo-viridis, demum fuscescens, inferne attenuata, turn in stipitem 



