squamis perpluriinis, fasciculatis, uudique iuibricatis, omnibus iloriferis, exterioribus majoribus, masculis
monandris, subterminali liermaphrodito inoiiaiulro. Nux compressa; stylo valido, basi subiiicrassalo; sliy-
matihus 2 , crassis, elongatis.— juncifomes ; culuiis caspitosis, teretibus, basi fo lia tis ; foliis teretibus,
basi vaginatis; vaginis Jissis ; capitulo atro-purpureo, excavatioue culmi sessili.
A very remarkable gemis, unlike Cgperacea in liabit, and quite resembling many species of Jiinciia iu tlic
tufted habit, terete culm and radical loaves, which latter have split sheaths.—Spikelets very densely aggregated
into a globose head, which is sunk iu a canal on the side of the culm, of very numerous, fasciculate scales,
which are equal in length, and imbricated all round ; the majority of these are male, aud have each one stamen ;
the central llower alone is hermaphrodite, and consists of one stamen and one compressed nut, with a stout style
and two stout stigmas.—C. eaodis is a rigid, glabrous herb, a span to 18 inches high, with striated, unjoiuted
culms and leaves, both of which tenninate iu subulate, almost pungent apices. Capitulum dark purple-black,
iuch in diameter, depressed, with two or tlmee concave, very broad, coriaceous, iiwolucvate scales at its base. Spikelets
broadly obovate. Scales obovate-ciuieate, aU tritid, or sometimes quadrifid (more or less irregidarly), the points
aeummate, a little recurved ; back and margms towards the apices woolly with purple hairs ; iimcr scales much
naiTower and more membranous, hyaline. Anthers yellow. Pistil clark-pui-ple. (Name from expert, and
a.vgp, a man ¡ iu allusion to the solitary stamens.)
1. Chorizandra en od is (Nees, PI. Preiss. ii. 73) ; culmis foliisque inarticulatis gracilibus, capitulo
depresse globoso exserto, squamulis 3-5-fidis obovato-cuneatis apice lanatis. {Gunn, 1401.)
H a b . Wet places near Georgetown, Gunn.— (Pi. Oct.)
D is t k ib . Victoria (Hopkins River), Mueller; Swan River, Drummond.
Gen. VI. CARPHA, Banks et Sol.
Spicula fasciculatæ, erectæ, unifiores. Squama disticbæ, inferiores minores, vacuæ; 2 superiores sub-
oppositæ, magnæ; terminali anguste lineari. Seta hypogynæ 3-6, longe pluinosæ, squainis æquilongæ.
N ux stipitata, prismática, obovata; stylo basi longe fusiformi, persistente; stigm-atihus 2 -3 .—Herbæ caspitosa;
foliis linearibus; culmo tereti; fasciculis spicularum bractea foliácea subtensis.
There are only three species of this genus known to me, of which the present is closely allied to C. schcenoides
of Fuegia, and the third {C. deusta) is a native of New South Wales. The C. alpina is a tufted, grass-like herb,
with numerous, rigid, narrow-linear, i-adical leaves, 2-4 inches loug, with rather blunt apices, concave faces, and
glabrous or scaberulous sides and margin.— Culms slender, erect, cylindric or rather compressed, a span to a foot
high, with one or two leaves. Cauline leaves or bracts with a long, entire sheath, each bearing a peduncled, snb-
eorymbose fascicle of large, pale-yellow, shining spikelets ; lower fascicle (when two) on a long, slender, inclined
peduncle. Spikelets 4 inch long, of abont five or six distichous scales, of which the two lowest are small, subulate,
lanceolate, and empty ; the two succeeding are veiy large, opposite, concave and compressed, lanceolate, acuminate,
scarious, enclosing one flower between them ; the uppermost scale is linear and small. Hypogynous seta in two
series, as long as the longest scales, densely plumose. Nut prismatic, with a short style, having a long, conical,
persistent base. Embryo large, almost globose, but broadly conical at both ends, and hence somewhat shortly fusiform,
its lower half surrounded with a layer of indurated albumen, its upper small, with softer albumen above it.
(Name from Kap<)>os, chaff; in aüusion to the glumaceous texture of the scales.)
1. Carpha alpina (Br. Prodr. 23 0 ); foliis rigidis anguste linearibus obtusiusculis supra concavis,
fasciculis spicularum subcorymboso-paniculatis, inferioribus gracile pedicellatis squamis pallidis, setis hypo-
gynis 6 longe plumosis apicibus nudis.—Fl. N . Zeal. i. 273. {Gunn, 1485.)
Hab. Not uncommon on the mountains, alt. 4-5000 ped.— (PI. Dec., Jan.) {v. v.)
D is t r ib . Mountains of Victoria aud New Zealand.
Gen. VI. ELÆOCHARIS, Br.
Spimla solitaria, terminalis, elongata, erecta, nuda; ,quamú undique imbricatis, conformibus, plerisque
tertihbus; teta hjpogijwa 4 -1 2 (rarius 0). N ta lenticularis v. trigona ; s tyh basi bulboso, cum ovario
articulato, deciduo; ttígmatíbut ÌL - Ì .-M e ù m paludotm-, culmis o “ ‘
A very common genus ot marsh plants, found in all parts of the world, and many of the indlvidnal species
have also a very extended geographical distribnlion.-All are leafless, erect herbs, with tnfted, geneidlj terete
calms, slieathcd at the base, and simple, erect, lanceolate or cylindilcal. solitary, terminal spikelets. Scdet nuinc-
rons, imbricated all ronnd, most or all of them fertile. Mmtert ot three stamens and one pistil, surronnded by
hypogynous bristles. Style with a imlbous base, jointed on to the nnl, deciduous ; ,tig „ « 3. (Name from .Xos
a marsh, and to delight in)
1. E læ o c h a r is s p h a c e la ta (Br. Prodr. 244) ; rofausta, culmis articulatis intus vacuis, spicula cylindrica,
squamis elliptico- v. obovato-oblongis margine sphacelatis.— / ’/. N. Zeal. i. 269. {Gunn, 1404.)
H a b . Abundant in lagoons near Formosa, etc.— (Fl. Nov.)
D is t r ib . Throughout Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.
Cidms 3-4 feet higii, 4 - 4 inch in diameter, hollow, with numerous transverse septa. Spikelet 2 inches long.
Seales blunt, broadly-oblong or eUiptic-obloug, with bron-n edges. Nut very broadly obovate, compressed, with
thickened margms. Hypogynous bristles about eight, covered with retrorse setæ.
2. E læ o c h a r is g r a c ilis (Br. Prodr. 224) ; culmis gracilibus inarticulatis cæspitosis, vagina ore
truncata, spica cylindracea, squainis ovato-lanceolatis, setis hypogynis 4 -8 ovario longioribus, nuce compressa,
stigmatibus 3.—E. mucronulata, Nees, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vi. 46. An E palustris L var ?
{Gunn,hl2,.) > ■
Var. 0-, squamis acutis.—E. acuta, Br. I.e.
H a b . Abundaot in marshy places throughout the Island.—(Fl. Oct.-Jan.) {v. v )
D is t r ib . Extratropical Australia and New Zealand.
I can find no characters to separate this plant from the European E. palustris, except the tiiree stigmas, and
the occasional presence of a smaU mucro to the mouth of the sheath ; this mouth is either transversely or obliquelv
truncate in both European and Tasmanian specimens. The scales are more often obtuse than acute, ¡nd the hypogynous
bristles, tliougli constantly eight in Tasmanian specimens, vary from four to eight iu Australiau and New
Zealand ones. The nut is broadly obovate, pale yellow-brown, with rounded sides, iu which respect and its more
robust babit it differs from what I have (iu the ‘ New Zealand Flora ’) assumed to be Brown’s E. gracilis, and
which has a trigonous nut.
Geu. V II. ISOLEPIS. Br.
Spicula parvæ, 1 v. plnres (rarius 1), terminales v. prope apicem culmi aggregate, sessiles, breves,
ovato-cylindraceæ; squamis uudique imbricatis, plerisque floriferis. Seta hypogynæ 0. Nux compressa
V. trigona; stylo deciduo, basi non incrassato.—Herbæ {Tasmania I. iiodoM e'vcepto parva) caspitosa;
culims trigonis teretiusculisve, basi fo lia tis v. vaginatis; foliis angustis, subulatis subgramineisve.
A very common and puzzling genus, found in almost all parts of the world, but most abundanÜy iu the tern-
perate and colder latitudes. The species arc extremely difficult to discriuiiiiate, being ver%- variable, and their cha-
ractei-s mmutc and not easily expressed. About sixteen AustraUan species are known to me, including probablv
the eleven which arc described in Brown’s ‘ Prodromus,’ though I am unable to determine some of the latter witii
confidence. The genus differs from Sciiyms only in habit and in wanting hypogynous bristles ; almost aU are small
tulted, usually marsh plauts, with subulate radical leaves. (Name from taos, equal, and Xems, « scale)