20 Mr. C. C. Babington on a neio species o/Eleocharis. 



was growing, owing to the similarity of their outward appear- 

 ance. Doubtless plenty of it might have been obtained if it had 

 been looked for. 



To Mr. Watson we are indebted for the knowledge of this new 

 species, as he received two small specimens from Dr. Balfour, 

 and forwarded the fruit of one of them to me, with a request 

 that I would endeavour to ascertain its identity with any known 

 species. Through the liberality of Dr. Balfour I have had an 

 opportunity of examining all the plants belonging to this group 

 which are contained in his herbarium, but have only succeeded in 

 finding one additional specimen of the Tayanloan plant ; for the 

 permission to retain a portion of it I am much indebted to him. 



The similarity in outward appearance of the species included 

 in the groups named Eleocharis and Bceothryon renders it neces- 

 sary to pay close attention to the structure and form of their 

 several parts : thus the form of the mouth of the sheaths which 

 surround the base of the stem, the form of the nut, that of the 

 base of the style and of the outer glume, and the length of the 

 hypogynous bristles, have been carefully examined, and found to 

 afford distinctive characters when the more conspicuous organs 

 do not present any describable or constant differences. 



I propose the following as a provisional name and character 

 for the plant, as I have totally failed in finding any described 

 species to which it can be referred. The name is given in com- 

 memoration of the gentleman to whose acuteness of observation 

 we owe its discovery, and who deserves so well of botanists from 

 his researches concerning the geographical distribution of plants. 



Eleocharis Watsoni ; spicis terminalibus solitariis oblongis, glumis 

 acutis (?) infima obtusiuscula basin spicee circumcingente, stylo 

 bifido, achenio utrinque convexo oblongo obtusissimo basi paululum 

 atteuuato angulis rotundatis tenuissime punctato-striatOy basi styli 

 persistente late depresso, setis hypogynis 4-6 achenio brevioribus, 

 culmis basi vaginatis, vagina abrupte truncata. 



Radix ignota. Squamae radicales latse, obtusse, rubescentes. Cidmi 

 3-4 unciales, tenuissime striati, erecti, nudi, tenues, basi vagina 

 viridi infeme rufescente superne fusco-marginata circumdati. Setse 

 hypogynse breves, retrorsum hispidse, achenio dimidio breviores. ip,. 



Hab. in palustribus maritimis prope " Tayanloan " in com. " Argyle "j 

 Scotise. .(. 



It might be allowable to stop here, but I think it desirable to 

 add a few remarks concerning the differences between this and 

 the allied plants. 



1. The lowest glume is larger than the others, and surrounds 

 the base of the spike in E. uniglumis, E. Watsoni and E. multi- 

 caulis, but does not do so, and is not larger than the others in 

 E. palustris. 



