73. L. DENSUM Labill. PI. Nov. Holl. ii. 104, tab. 251, fig. 1.—
Stems stiffly erect, 2 -6 ft. long, simple towards the base, copiously
brauclied upwards, with crowded ascending branches and branchlets,
the latter l-1 2 th to l-8 th in. diam. including the leaves. Leaves
crowded, linear or lanceolate aouminate, erecto-patent or ascending,
4 -1 4 hue long, firm in texture, pale green, shortly aristate ; midrib
distinct. Spikes copious, terminal on the branchlets, sessile,
cylindrical, many to a branch, 4 -1 hi. long, l-1 2 th to l-8 th in.
d iam .; bracts broad ovate, not cuspidate.
Hab. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Norfolk Island and New Caledonia,
in elevated situations on the ground.
74. L. oBscuRDM Linu. Sp. edit. ii. 1566 (Dill. Muse. t. 67).
L . japonicuiii. Thuiib. L. dendroideiim Michx. ; Schk. Krypt. t. 64 ;
Hook. Exot. Flora t. 7 .— Stems erect, I - I 4 ft- long, simple at the
base, copiously branched upwards, with crowded mostly ascending
branches and branchlets. Leaves lax, erecto-patent, lanceolate,
mucronate, 4 in. long, firm in texture, bright glossy, g r e e n ; midrib
distinct. Spikes 1 -6 , terminal on the upper branchlets, erect,
cylindrical, sessile, 4 - I 2 hi. lo u g ; bracts broad ovate, acute, not
cuspidate, ascending, imbricated.
Hab. Newfoundland, Canada to Carolina, Japan, Kamschatka and
Siberia.
75. L. cAsuARiNOiDEs Spring Mon. i. 94 ; Hook. Ic. t. 968. L.
ruhelhim Presl. 1.. comam axidi Jilicaule Hook. fil.— Stems wide-
scandent; branches copiously compound; final branchlets sometimes
6 -9 in. long, pendulous. Leaves very variable, conspicuously
decurrent, firm in texture, green or reddish, lanceolate aristate,
sometimes distant, with only a minute free blade with a hyaline
apex, sometimes closer, with a lanceolate aristate arcuate free
blade 4 in- long. Spikes by themselves on special branchlets,
panicled, 1 -3 in. long, cylindrical, 4 hi. diam. ; bracts broad ovate,
ascending, decidedly cuspidate.
Hab. Khasia, Assam, Bhotan, Maiacca, China, Philippines, Java, Borneo
and Sumatra.
Group of L . clavatum.
76. L . S p r u o e i Baker.—Main stem short, simple, epigteous,
sending out copious rootlets and stiffly erect simple or forked leafy
stems, 6 -9 in. loug. Leaves very dense, lanceolate, aouminate,
4 in. long, firm in texture, green, ascending, with a sulcate midrib,
so that they appear 2-nerved on the keel. Spikes sessile and
solitary at the end of the leafy branches, 1 4 -2 in. long; bracts
dense, stramineous, broad ovate, with a very large erecto-patent or
squarrose cusp.
Hab. Venezuela ; San Carlos del Eio Negro, Spruce 3151! A very distinct
species, connecting the groups of inundatum and clavatum.
77. L . m a g e l l a n ic d m S w . Syn. F il. 180.—Main stem wide-trailing,
epigieous or hypogteous ; branches short, ascending; lower copiously
compound, with short branchlets. Leaves crowded, lanceolate,
arcuate-ascending. 4 - 4 in. long, thick iu texture, green, mucronate,
not aristate; midrib distinct. Spikes sessile or nearly so at the
end of the leafy branchlets, stouter than in clavatum, 1 -2 in. long,
often many to a b ran ch ; bracts imbricated, broad ovate, with a
large finally squarrose cusp.
Var. (hmningliami Baker.— A stout condensed variety with large
thick secund leaves and very large spikes, 3 -4 in. long, 4 in. in
diam. ; bracts with very large cusps.
Hab. South Chili, Terra del Fuego, South Patagonia, Falkland Isles,
Kerguelen’s Land, Staten Land, Marion Islands. Var. Gunninghaml; Straits of
Magellan, Dr. Cop2)inger\ Falkland Isles, Dr. Cunningham'.
78. L. coNTiGDUM, Klotzsch in Linu. xviii. 519. — Main stem
wide-trailing, rooting copiously ; branches e r e c t ; lower sparingly
compound, 6 -9 iu. long, with a few long erect branchlets. Leaves
crowded, arcuate ascending, lanceolate, 4 in- long, tipped with a
short awn, rigid iu texture, green, midrib distinct, Spikes usually
simple, 1 -2 in. long, stouter than in clavatum, sessile at the end of
the leafy branchlets, never more than few to a b ran ch ; bracts
broad ovate, with a long sub-squariose cusp.
Hab. High Andes of New Granada, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
7 9 . L. RAMULosuM Kli’k 111 Trans. New Zeal. Instit. xi. 456, tab.
19, fig, B .— Stems densely tufted, 2 -3 in. long, ascending, sparingly
branched. Leaves lanceolate, mucronate not aristate, moderately
dense, ascending or spreading, firm in texture, green, 4 hi. long,
distinctly keeled. Spikes terminal and solitary, sessile at the end
of tlie leafy branches, J - 4 m. long ; bracts ascending, imbricated,
broad ovate, cuspidate.
Hab. New Zealand; Hokitika, TipUr (Kirk 831!) Differs mainly from
L . diffusum by its entirely terminal spikes.
80. L. ANNOTINUM Linu Sp. Plant, edit. ii. 1566 (Dill. Muse. t.
63, fig. 9) ; FI. Dan. t. 127 ; Schk. Crypt, t. 162; Hook. Brit.
Ferns, t. 50. L.jttniperifoUum Lam.— Main stem caudate, trailing to
a length sometimes of several fe e t; branches asc ending; upper simple,
lower copiously compound. Leaves moderately close, lanceolate,
spreading, or lower reflexed, 4 - 4 in. long, mucronate, denticulate,
firm in texture, green, shortened and ascending at the nodes
where growth has been suspended ; midrib distinct. Spikes
solitary, sessile at the end of the leafy branchlets, often many to a
brauch, cylindrical, I - I 4 in. lon g ; bracts broad ovate, shortly
cuspidate, ascending, stramineous, much imbricated.
Hab. Arctic zones and mountains ol the north temperate zone in both
hemispheres, ascending to 14,000 ft. in the Eastern Himalayas. Var. purigens
Spring is a high mountain form with smaller, thicker, more distinctly pointed
ascending leaves.
81. L. DiAPHANUM Sw. Syu. F il. 179 ; Hook, et Grev. Ic. t. 227.
— Main stem wide-trailing, epigffious, densely leafy thr ough ou t;
branches a sc en d in g ; lower about 4 ft. long, sparingly compound.
Leaves very dense, linear, with a long awn, ascending, much
imbricated,'firm in texture, green, 4 in. lon g ; midrib distinct.
Spikes sessile at the end of the leafy branchlets, simple or forked.