Kunth Enum. ii. (1837), 289 (Rhynchospora) ; stems slender, head globose dense brown, bracts longer than head, style very shortly 2-fid, nut obovoid smooth or minutely scabrous on shoulders. Benth. Fl. Hongk. 396 and Fl. Austral, vii. 349 ; Thw. Enum. 352 ; Boeck, in Linnaea, xxxvii. 542 (excluding American examples). R. Haenkei, Presl. Rel. Hank. i. 199. Schoenus ruber, Lour. Fl. Cochinch, i. 52. Morisia Wallichii, Nees in Edinb. New Phil. Journ. 1834 (n. 34) 265 and in Wight Contrib. 115. Haplostylis Meyenii, Nees in Linnaea, ix. (1834), 295, and in Edinb. New Phil. Journ. 1834 (n. 34) 265, and in Wight Contrib. 115 (partly). Sphaeroschoenus Wallichii, Arnott & Nees in Nov. Act. Acad. Nat. Cur. xix. Suppl, i. 97. Cephaloschoenus parvus, Nees l. c. 100. Mariscus umbellatus var. procerior, Zoll. Verz. Ind. Archip, ii. 63.— Rynchospora, Wall. Cat. 3422, 3428.
Throughout India (except the North-west) alt. 0-5000 ft., common ; from Nepal and Assam to Ceylon, Nicobars, Kurz and Malacca.—Distrib. Trop. Africa, S.E. Asia to Japan, Malaya, trop. Australia.
Stems tufted, 4-24 in., trigonous, striate, smooth ; stolons 0. Leaves several, 1/2 stem, 1/8 in. broad, flat, minutely scabrous, glabrous or sometimes hairy. Spikelets 20-50 in a head, 1/3-1/2 in. diam. ; bracts 3-8, 1-3 in., glabrous or villous-ciliate. Glumes 6-7 ; 3 (or 4) lowest empty, ovate, scarcely acute ; fourth longer containing a perfect flower, fifth containing a sterile (or no) flower ; seventh glume (when present) narrow, thin, rudimentary. Hypogynous bristles sometimes 6 as long as nut, brown, scabrous (teeth pointing upwards) sometimes 6-4 half as long less scabrous, sometimes rudimentary or 0. Stamens 2, less often 3 ; anthers linear - oblong, crested. Nut 1/2 glume ; beak narrow conic, nut, pale, smooth or rarely scabrous. Sect. 2. HAPLOSTYLIS (Genus), Nees in Nov. Act. Acad. Nat. Cur. xix. Suppl, i. (1843), 101. Spikelet bearing one nut. Glumes obscurely disti¬chous. Nut dorsally compressed i.e. flattened with one face next axis (as in Juncellus).
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