Fimbristylis .] 
CTPERACEvE. 
419 
tufted. Stems 6-18 in. long, erect, stiff, subterete, striated. Leaves 
in a dense tuft, rigid, coriaceous, narrow ligulate, obtuse, 3-6 in. long, 
in. broad. Spikelets numerous, arranged in a compound umbel, 
which is often congested into a globose head, bracteated by 2-3 short 
rigid leaves, each oblong, £ in. long. G-lumes oblong, obtuse, glabrous, 
in. long, with a green keel, brown sides and a hyaline border. 
Stamens 2. Style shortly bifid, not pilose. Achene turbinate, glossy, 
striated, brown-black. Scirpus glomeratus, Fetz. ; Bojer, Rort. Maur. 
384. F. rigida, Kunth , Enum. ii. 231. F. Wightiana, Fees ; Kunth , 
Fnum. ii. 241. 
Mauritius, Rodriguez, and Seychelles, in dry places, often near the sea, com- 
mon. Coin de Mire, Horne ! Spread through the tropics of both hemispheres. 
3. F. diphylla, Vahl, Emm. ii. 289. Perennial, densely tufted. 
Stems 1-2 feet long, slender, wiry, angular. Leaves numerous, narrow 
linear, glabrous, J-l foot long, i n • broad. Spikelets numerous, 
arranged in a lax compound umbel, bracteated by 4-6 very unequal 
short linear leaves, each oblong, iu. long. Glumes ovate, T V in. 
long, glabrous, brown, scariose, obtuse, tipped with a mucro formed 
by the distinct green keel. Style long, bifid, pilose. Achene obovoid- 
lenticular, brown, glossy, striated. F. communis, Kunth , Fnum. ii. 235. 
F. marginata, ovalis, and Royeniana, Fees. F. polymorpha, Boeclcl. in 
Linncea, xxxvi. 14. Very variable in the size of its spikelets and 
vestiture and size of its leaves. The following are the principal 
forms. 
1. F. rigidula, Fees in Wight , Cont. Bot. 99. Umbel and spikelets 
of the type, but leaves short, rigid, obtuse, 2-4 in. long, like those of 
F. glomerata. F. marginata, and striata, Labill. FI. Fov. Cal. t. 16. 
2. F. pilosa, Vahl; Bojer , Rort. Maur. 383. Spikelets J-^in. 
long. Leaves a foot long, £ in. broad, pilose. F. tomentosa, Vahl. 
3. F. glauca, Vahl ; Kunth , Fnum . ii. 234. Leaves narrower than 
in the last and spikelets smaller. 
Mauritius, Rodriguez, and Seychelles, common. Spread through the tropics 
of both hemispheres. 
4. F. ferruginea, Vahl ; Kunth , Fnum. ii. 236. Perennial, tufted. 
Stems 1-2 feet long, wiry, ancipitous, glabrous, striated. Leaves much 
shorter than the stems, narrow linear, coriaceous, glabrous, y 1 ^ in. broad. 
Umbels lax, compound, bracteated by 3-4 short linear rigid leaves ; 
spikelets oblong, y-f in. long. Glumes oblong, J in. long, obtuse, brown, 
scariose, tipped with a minute mucro formed by the strong green keel 
and hoary with thin grey tomentum in the exposed portion. Style 
long, pilose, bifid. Achene o bo void-lenticular, shining, dark brown, 
strongly ribbed. F. arvensis, Vahl ; Kwnih, Fnum. ii. 237. F. mauri- 
2 e 2 
