224 CYPERACEAE, [Scorpus, 
8. 8. prolifer Rotth. Descr. et Ic. (1773) 55, t. 17, £. 2—Stems numerous, 
tufted, 1-2 ft. high or more, rather stout, striate when dry, leafless except 
a large purplish or purplish-black sheath at the base, Heads large, 4-1 in. 
diam., terminal, solitary, of very many (10-30) densely crowded spikelets, 
often proliferous and putting out 1 or several usually long branches termi- 
nating in a much smaller head of spikelets; bract shorter than the head, 
obtuse. Spikelets long and narrow, #-$in. long, linear or linear-oblong, 
cylindrical, obtuse, many-flowered. Glumes ovate, obtuse, concave, chest- 
nut-brown with a paler keel and margins. Hypogynous bristles wanting. 
Stamens 3. Style-branches 3, long, linear. Nut rather small, less than $ 
the length of the glume, elliptic-ovoid, acute, acutely trigonous, smooth, 
pale yellowish-brown or almost white—Benth. Fl. Austral. vii (1878) 330: 
Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 776. Isolepis prolifemR. Br. Prodr. (1810) 
223. I. globosa Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. 11 (1871) 211. 
Norts Istanp: Auckland—Bay of Islands, 7. Kirk! Wellington—Karori, Evans 
Bay, and other localities in the vicinity of the City of Wellington, Buchanan / T. Kirk ! 
Petrie! B. C. Aston! Wairarapa, 7. Kirk / November—March, 
Also in New South Wales, and abundant in South Africa. Easily separated from 
S. sulcatus and large states of S. inundatus by the very numerous long and narrow 
spikelets, and flowers with 3 stamens. . 
%. §. nodosus Rottb. Descr. et Ic. (1773) 52, t. 8, f. 3.—Rhizome short, 
stout, woody, creeping, +in. diam. or more. Stems very numerous, 
closely packed, 1-3 ft. high, erect, rigid, terete or slightly compressed. 
Leaves wanting except 2 or 3 sheathing scales at the base of the stems. 
Head solitary, globose, brown, 4-2in. diam., of very numerous densely 
crowded spikelets; bract 4-14 in. long, rigid, erect, continuous with the 
stem, so that the head appears lateral. Spikelets ovoid, 1-4 in. long, 
many-flowered. Glumes broadly ovate, obtuse or obscurely mucronate, 
concave. Hypogynous bristles wanting. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3, 
linear. Nut less than 4 the length of the glume, obovoid, obtusely 
trigonous, the flat face next the glume, pale-brown, smooth and polished.— 
Benth. Fl. Austral vii (1878) 331; Cheesem. Man N.Z. FI. (1906) 776. 
Isolepis nodosa_R. Br. Prodr. (1810) 221; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. (1832) 
104; A. Cunn. Precur. (1836) n. 272; Raoul Choix (1846) 40; Hook f. 
Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 270; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 301. 
Kermapauc Isntanps, NortaH anp Soutu IsLANDS, Stewart IsLAND, CHATHAM 
Istanps: Abundant throughout. Sea-level to 2000 ft. November--February. 
Also found in Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, temperate Australia, extra- 
tropical South Africa, St. Helena and Amsterdam Islands, and temperate South 
America, 
10. S. frondosus Banks and Sol. ex Boeck. in Flora, |xi (1878) 141.— 
Stout, rigid, harsh, yellow-green, 2-3 ft. high. Rhizome thick, woody, 
creeping, often many feet in length. Stems many along the rhizome, 
stout, erect, obtusely trigonous, leafy at the base. - Leaves very numerous, 
spreading, often curved, rigidly coriaceous, channelled above, keeled beneath, 
gradually narrowed into long trigonous points, at the base expanded into 
broad membranous sheaths ; margins and keel sharply denticulate. 
Inflorescence 3-9 in. long or more, of linear clusters of densely crowded 
sessile spikelets arranged in a spiral manner around the upper part of the 
stem, each cluster subtended by a rigid linear bract similar to the leaves. 
Spikelets red-brown, almost globose, about }$in. long, many-flowered. 
