XXX. CYPERACEÆ, DeC.
1. OREOBOLUS, Br.
1. Oreobolus pectinatus, Hook, fil.; culniis dense csespitosis rainosis foliosis, foliis distichis equitantibus lineari-subulatis apicibus obtusis rigidis basi vaginantibus, scapo brevissiuio terrninali unifloro post anthesin elongato, perianthii foliolis ciliatis interioribus utrinque unidentatis. (Tab. XLLX.) Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island; on the bare and exposed faces of the lulls, forming dense convex masses.
Radix fibrosa; fibra elongata?, 2-3 una longu valid*, crassitie penna? passerina?, teretes, liic illic tortuosa?, suberosa? v. spougiosa?, inferno fibrillosa?. Caules densissime ca?spitosi, duri, rigidi, ramosi, per totam longitudinem foliosi, plerumque 2 unc. longi sed locis udioribus 4-6 unciales, interne pra?cipue radices fibrosaa emittentcs. Folia densissime imbricata, disticlia, equitantia, basi vaginantia, flabellatim disposita, lineari-subnlata, obtusa, — J unc. longa, paulo curvata v. ascendentia, supra canaliculata, subtus convexa, medio obscure 1-nervia, basin versus 5-7 nervia, rigide coriacea, erassiuscula, ad margines minute cartilagineo-serrulata, la?te viridia, inferiora pallide fusca, vetustiora suberosa, grisea ; vagina lamina? longitudine, una basi integra?, sinu obtuso, superne Mantes, coriacea?, ad margines subscariosa?, nervis promincntibus 7-9 eostata?, superne oblique truncata?, palbde rufo-fusca?. Pecluuculi terminales ; floriferi brevissimi, post anthesin elongati ; fruetiferi validi, i-f unc. longi, infra medium turgidi, superne sidcati, obscure angulati, ad apicem a lapsu glmnarmn cieatricosi. Ghana 2, subsequales, lineari-oblonga?, subacuta?, 2 lin. longa?, coriacea?, enerves, concava?, albida?, convoluta?, superior inferiorem amplcctens, decidua?, tlorem solitarium iucludentes. Perianthinm minimum, sexpartitum v. potius hexaphyllum; foliola erecta, ovata, acuta, planiuscula, ad margines ciliata, subenervia, ad mecbum obscure incrassata, coriacea, subreticulata, persistent ia, post anthesin subincrassata, pergamentacea; interinra minora, utrinque obtuse uni-dentata. Stamina 3, hypogyna, fohohs perianthii exterioribus opposita; filameuta longissime linearia, medio uninervia, longe exserta; aniheree lineares, basifixa?, longitudinaliter dehiscentes; eonnectivo ultra locidos producto, apice obtuso j pollen hyalinum, stramineum, tri-tetragouum, angidis obtusis, intus granulis opacis tot quot anguhs. Ovarium minutum, triquetrum, elongato-obovatum, obtusum, uniloculare, uniovidatum, superne hemisphericiun, hispidulum ; oval inn erectum. Stylus elongatus, exsertus, gracilis, teres, erectus, basi modice bulboso-incrassatus, cum ovario articulatus, deciduus, in stigmata 3, aequilonga, filii'orniia, pilosa productus. Nux obovata, obtusa, perianthio persistente basi circumdata, trigona, ad angulos longitudinaliter sidcata, quasi trivalvis, valvis coalitis, extus nitida, intus Crustacea, subossea; vertex depressus sub lente granulatus v. subhispidus. Semen erectum, locido confonne, pyriforme, basi subito attenuatum ; funiculus brevissimus. Testa membranacea, pallide viridis; chalaza apicahs, orbicularis, fusca; raphe tenuis, superne latior, deorsum evanida. Albumen copiosmn, carnoso-farinacciun. Embryo pariis, late obconicus, obtusus, parte superiore solummodo vix et ne vix basi albuminis mrmersa.
The equitant leaves will at once distinguish this very distinct species from either the Tasmanian 0. pmiiilio, Br. or 0. obtusanguhts, Gaud., which are more nearly allied to one another than to the present in appearance.
M. Gaudichaud describes four imbricating scales or glumes in the Falkland Island species ; but in this, as in the Tasmanian, there are certainly only two. The six leaflets of the perianth are most probably analogous to the hy-pogyuous seta? in Scirpns, and more especially to those organs in Pterolepis, in which genus they are flattened; from their great breadth in Oreobolus they are seen to belong to two series, a character difficult of detection if it exists where those organs consist of simple slender seta?. The structure of the pericarp is somewhat singular, it is obovate and distinctly trigonous in all the species, the angles are channelled and the three sides much thickened, but the thickening is not continued to the apex, where there is a shallow cavity with a convex base ; in a longitudinal section the thickened sides are found to be coriaceous, and have the appearance of three valves united at their margins and to the inner crustaceous pericarp, which they do not altogether enclose, but leave its convex apex free at the
