Grassy or rush-like herbs, usually perennial. Stems solid or rarely slightly hollow, often trigonous, sometimes compressed or terete. Leaves alternate, mostly radical, few or many, sometimes wanting or reduced to sheathing scales; sheaths closed, not split to the base. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, minute, solitary and sessile in the axils of small imbricated bracts (glumes), which are aggregated into few- or many-flowered (rarely 1-nowered) spikelets. Spikelets either solitary and terminal, or arranged in spikes, racemes, panicles, or clusters. Glumes rigid or scarious or membranous, concave, distichous or imbricated all round, persistent or deciduous, 1 or 2 (rarely more) at the base of each spikelet empty. Perianth wanting or represented by few hypogynous bristles or scales. Stamens 1–3, rarely 4–6, hypogynous; filaments linear, flat, often elongating after flowering; anthers usually exserted from the spikelet and pendulous, linear, basifixed, 2-celled. Ovary entire, 1-celled, in Carex and its allies enclosed in a peculiar flask-shaped organ called the utricle or perigynium formed of 1 or 2 modified bracteoles; style short or long, 2–3-cleft, divisions stigmatic on the inner side; ovule solitary, basal, erect, anatropous. Fruit a small inclehiscent nut (in Garex enclosed in the utricle), lenticular or compressed or more often trigonous. Seed erect; testa membranous; albumen farinaceous; embryo minute, at the very base of the albumen.

A very large order, found in all parts of the world, both temperate and tropical, and in almost all stations, but most abundant in marshes, or by the margins of lakes and rivers. It is closely allied to grasses, being chiefly dis-page 763tinguished by the stiffen habit, solid and usually angled or compressed stems, entire leaf-sheaths, basifixed anthers, undivided (not plumose) stigmas, and by the position of the embryo. Genera 65; species estimated at 3400. Notwith-standing the extent of the order, it is of little economic importance. The herbage is too coarse and harsh, and too deficient in nutritive properties, to be serviceable as food for cattle; and the seed is useless. The tuberous roots of certain species of Scirpus and Cyperus contain starch, and have been used as food, while in others they are bitter, tonic, and stimulating, and have been employed in medicine. Many species are serviceable for paper-making, or in the fabrication of mats, baskets, &c. The paper of the ancients was manufactured from the well known Papyrus, a plant common along the Nile and in other parts of tropical Africa. Of the 14 genera found in New Zealand 9 are either cosmopolitan or very widely distributed; 2 (Carvha and Oreobolus) are confined to Australia and South America; Uncinia has a similar range, but extends northwards to the Sandwich Islands, Mexico, and the West Indies; the 2 remaining (Lepidosperma and Gahnia) are mainly Australian, but reach as far north as Malaya and China.

I have to express my indebtedness to Mr. C. B. Clarke, F.R.S. whose knowledge of the order is unrivalled, for his unwearied kindness in supplying me with information and critical notes respecting the New Zealand species. He has also, at considerable trouble to himself, furnished me with a list of the synonymy of the species, taken from the MSS. of the general work on the Cyperaceœ of the world, on which he has been engaged for some years past. His assistance has been of the greatest possible use.

Tribe Cypereæ.—Spikelets usually many-flowered, flat or compressed. Glumes distichous, imbricate, lower 1–2 empty. Flowers hermaphrodite or the upper 1–2 male by arrest. Hypogynous bristles absent.

Spikelets small, 1- or rarely 2-flowered, clustered in a simple or lobed head. Style 2-fid	1. Kyllinga.
Spikelets many-flowered; glumes falling away from the persistent rhachilla. Style 3-fid	2. Cyperus.
Spikelets many-flowered; glumes persistent, the rhachilla finally coming away above the 2 lowest. Style 3-fid	3. Mariscus.

Tribe ScirpeÆ.—Spikelets usually many-flowered, terete. Glumes spirally arranged, lower 1–2 empty. Flowers hermaphrodite or the upper 1–2 male. Hypogynous bristles often present.

Leafless. Spikelet solitary, terminal. Nut crowned by the persistent thickened base of the style. Hypogynous bristles present	4. Eleocharis.
Leaves radical. Spikelets umbellate. Style bulbous at the base, usually deciduous. Hypogynous bristles wanting	5. Fimbristylis.
Spikelets few or many, fascicled or umbelled. Style not thickened at the base, continuous with the nut. Hypogynous bristles present or wanting	6. Scirpus.

Tribe RhynchospoeÆ.—Spikelets 1- or few-flowered, terete or compressed. Glumes spirally arranged, several (usually more than 2) of the lower ones empty. Hermaphrodite flowers 1 or 2; the remainder male or imperfect.

Alpine, leafy at the base. Spikelets in a terminal corymb, compressed, pale, 1-flowered; glumes 4, distichous. Hypogynous bristles long, plumose	7. Carpha.
Spikelets few-flowered, compressed; glumes several, distichous. Rhachilla often elongated and flexuose between the flowers	8. SchŒnus.page 764
Spikelets 1–7-flowered, lowest flower alone hermaphrodite; glumes not distichous. Stamens 3, rarely elongating. Hypogynous bristles wanting	9. Cladium.
Spikelets 1–3-flowered, upper flower alone hermaphrodite. Stamens 3, rarely elongating. Hypogynous bristles present	10. Lepidosperma.
Tall, harsh and grassy. Spikelets 1–3-flowered, upper flower alone hermaphrodite. Stamens 3–6, usually elongating in fruit and holding the nut. Hypogynous bristles wanting	11. Gahnia.
Dwarf alpine plants forming dense cushions in bogs. Spikelets solitary or 2–3 together, 1-flowered; glumes 3. Hypogynous scales (perianth) 6, persistent,	12. Oreobolus.

Tribe CariceÆ.—Spikelets monoecious, the male and female flowers in the same or in distinct spikelets; rarely diœcious. Nuts enclosed in an entire or 2-fid inflated sac (utricle).

Spikelet solitary, androgynous. Rhachilla produced be- yond the utricle into a hooked bristle	13. Uncinia,
Spikelet solitary, or more often clustered or spicate or panicled, androgynous or unisexual. Rhachilla not produced beyond the utricle	14. Carex.