Cyperus.\ cLxii. cyperace^. i45 
tall, bases covered with red sheaths, triquetrous above. Leaves 
shorter, narrow. Bracts longer than umbel. Umbel simple, rays 
few, 3 to 4 in. long, erect or nodding. Spikelets 7 or 8 together, 
narrow linear, -50 in. long. Glumes rather distant, boat-shaped 
narrow sub-acute, yellow, keel green. Nut ellipsoid or obovoid, 
bluntly trigonous, black, half as long as the glume. Hah. Common 
in dry waste ground. Whole Peninsula, Singapore, Tanglin; 
Changi. Malacca, Pulau Besar. Pahang, Pekan. Perak, Thai- 
ping. Penang, Waterfall (Curtis). Distrib. Africa, Asia and 
Australia. 
(15) C. rotundus Linn. Sp. PI. 67; Clarke in Hook. fit. F.B.I. 
vi. 614; Ridl. Mat. hi. 68. 
Rhizome long, creeping, slender, tuberous. Culms 6 to 24 in. 
tall, slender. Leaves shorter, 2 to 8 in. long. Umbel simple, 
rarely compound, i to 3 in. long, rays slender erect. Spikelets 
narrow linear, -5 to i in. long, dark red. Glumes narrow lanceo¬ 
late, sub-acute not mucronate, closely imbricate, rachis winged. 
Nut ellipsoid, nearly half as long as the glume. Hah. Common in 
waste ground, gardens, roadsides in open spots. Singapore, Selangor. 
Distrib. All warm parts of the world. Native name: Rumput 
Haliya hitam (lit. Black ginger grass). Use: The tubers for 
smoking in cases of pain in the nose. 
A troublesome weed in garden beds as it readily propagates itself by its 
tubers, and is difficult to eradicate. 
(16) C. stoloniferus Retz, Observ. iv. 10; Clarke in Hook, 
fil. F.B.I. vi. 615: Ridl. Mat. hi. 69. C. littoralis Br. Prodr. 216. 
C. tuberosus Boj. Hort. Maur. 379. 
Rhizome long-creeping, woody. Culms tuberous at the base, 
distant, 6 to 18 in. tall, slender. Leaves shorter, 3 to 14 in. Icng, 
stiff or flaccid. Umbel simple, usually contracted to a head, rays 
sometimes 2 in. long, Spikelets oblong or linear, "5 in. long or 
less, pale or red. Glumes oblong obtuse, closely imbricate, 3-ribbed, 
back greenish, sides dark red. Nut obovoid or elliptic, obscurely 
trigonous, black. Hab. Sandy sea shores, and tidal mud. In the 
former short and wiry, in the latter taller and longer-leaved. Com¬ 
mon. Singapore, Changi. Malacca, Tanjong Kling. Pahang, 
Pekan. Penang, Bagian Jcnnal (Curtis). Lanka wi (Curtis). 
Distrib. Mauritius, Indo-Malaya, China, Australia. 
(17) C. distans Linn. fil. Suppl. 103; Clarke in Hook. fil. 
F.B.I. vi. 607; Ridl. Mat. hi. 69; Jacq. Ic. ii. t. 299. 
Stoloniferous plant. Culms usually rather distant, stout, bluntly 
triquetrous, 18 to 24 in. tall. Leaves *25 in. wide or less. Bracts 
long, longest 9 to 14 in. long. Umbel, compound, lax, spreading, 
8 to 14 in. wide. Spikelets *25 in. long, very slender, 10- to 
20-flowered, dark red.; Glumes distant not imbricate, elliptic, 
obtu.se. Nut oblong or narrowly elliptic, black. Hab. Common in 
EJ.M.P., 5 ^ 
