298 Transactions. — Botany. 



Glumes ovate-lanceolate, acute, entire, membranous, pale at 

 the top and edges with prominent green midrib, slightly larger 

 than the utricles. 



Utricles ovaxe-lanceolate, plane-convex or concave-convex, 

 sub-stipitate, many-nerved, with recurved wings and tapering, 

 bifid, serrate beak. 



Branches of the style, 2, long. 



Hab. Mount Pisa Range, at the head-waters of the Lnggate 

 Creek, 4,000 to 5,000 feet. Male flowers are sometimes absent in 

 the lowermost spikelet. The foliage, though somewhat harsh, 

 is readily eaten by sheep. 



This species is allied to C. muelleri, mihi, = G. viridis, mihi, 

 and C. kaloides (mihi). Named in honour of Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., 

 a veteran worker in the Flora of New Zealand. 



Carex thomsoni, n. sp. 



Small, tufted, pale-green. 



Culms very short, £ - f inch long, much shorter than the 

 leaves, and invested by thin sheathing bases. 



Leaves 1|- 2 inches long, linear, tapering upwards, acute, 

 flat, deeply striate, finely serrate towards the top, their bases 

 membranous, sheathing, and twice as broad as the blade. 



Spikelets 3, crowded, female below, male above, forming a 

 compact head £ - -J inch long ; bract short, ovate, mucronate. 



Glumes ovate, acute, 3-nerved at the middle, membranous, 

 entire, dark-brown at the margin, as long as the utricle. 



Utricles lenticular, ovate or elliptical, broadly winged, shortly 

 stipitate, nerved, with bifid beak, the upper half finely serrate. 



Arms of the style, 2. 



Hab. Mount Pisa Range, 5,500 to 6,200 feet. 



The male flowers occur chiefly at the top of the uppermost 

 spikelet ; they are rare on the lowermost, less so on the middle 

 one. The plant forms small low tufts, 3-5 inches in diameter. 

 Flowering or fruiting specimens are not by any means easy to 

 find. It is very common in the most exposed situations on the 

 very crown of this wind-swept range. 



Named in honour of Mr. G. M. Thomson, F.L.S., of 

 Dunedin. 



Carex muelleri = C. viridis, mihi. 



My friend Sir Ferdinand von Mueller has pointed out to me 

 that the specific name viridis, which I attached to a species of 

 Carex described in vol. xiii. of the "Transactions of the New 

 Zealand Institute," has been already used to designate a plant 

 from Mexico. I have now very great pleasure in associating 

 the name of that distinguished botanist with this interesting 

 plant, in recognition of his great services to the science and of 

 many kindnesses to myself. 



