.">(i Transactions. 



progressively shorter, the bottom spikelet 5-6 cm. long, f em. broad, the 

 higher progressively shorter ; bracts long, leafy, getting shorter from below 

 upwards, with long closed sheaths nearly equalling the peduncles. 



Glumes 6 mm. long, narrow linear-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, entire 

 or slightly bifid at the tip, and produced into a short mucro, membranous, 

 1-nerved, yellowish or pale brown with a lighter midrib. 



Utricles shorter than the glumes, 3 mm. long, turgidly biconvex, strongly 

 2-nerved (otherwise nerveless), dark brown, polished and shining, very 

 shortly stipitate, suddenly contracted above into a short smooth rather 

 obscurely bidentate beak. 



Nut broadly ovate, obtusely trigonous above. Stigmata 3. 



Hah. — Swampy ground at Chatham Islands. 



To Mr. W. R. B. Oliver I am indebted for the few over-mature speci- 

 mens of this plant that have been examined. It is very distinct from the 

 already-known native species. Mr. Oliver has the impression that it is 

 not uncommon in swampy stations on the Chathams. 



14. Carex kermadecensis sp. no v. 



Folia radicalia baud visa. 



Culmi (infra imperfecti) ad (idem, alti moderate robusti erecti pallidi 

 striati triquetri. 



Spiculae 5-8 (forsan plures), infima longe distante simplici, superioribus 

 plerumque ± confertis in 2-4 spiculas secundarias sessiies confertas longi- 

 tudine inaequales divisis. erectae pallidae + 5 cm. longae 6 mm. latae ; 

 supremis 3-4 mere musculis v. noribus paucis femineis apice instructis. 

 reliquis femineis; bracteae longe vaginantcs foliosae, infimis culmos valde 

 excedentibus, superioribus cito abbreviatis. 



Glumae dense confertae ovato-lanceolatae membranaceae 3-nervatae 

 integrae v. apice bifidae. in mucronem breyem + scabridum productae, 

 utriculos aequantes. 



I'triculi 4 mm. longi ] mm. lati anguste elliptici breviter stipitati, supra 

 sensim attenuati in rostrum tenue sublongum parce scabridum dentibus 

 duobus longis tenuibus scabridis vix divergentibus instructum, leviter 

 biconvexi nervis lateralibus duobus conspicuis,ac aliis numerosis delicatulis 

 a latere utroque praediti. 



Xux elliptica acorn- supra infraque contracta acute trigona ubique deli- 

 catule punctulata. Stigmata 3 (raro 2). 



Radical leaves not seen. 



Culms (imperfect below) 6 clem, high or less, moderately stout, pale, 

 smooth or slightly scabrid at the angles, striate, triquetrous. 



Spikelets 5-8 or perhaps more, the lowermost long-distant and simple, 

 the upper more or less closely placed (usually overlapping), subdivided 

 into 2-4 secondary sessile crowded spikelets of unequal length, the lower 

 on long slender flattened peduncles, the upper sessile or nearly so, erect, 

 pale, 5 cm. long or less, + 6 mm. broad, a few of the uppermost purely 

 male or with a few female flowers at the top, the rest female ; bracts long- 

 sheathing, leafy, the lower greatly exceeding the culms, the upper rapidly 

 shortening. 



Glumes densely crowded, ovate-lanceolate, membranous, 3-nerved, pale 

 l>i own with a lighter median stripe, acute, entire or bifid at the top, and 



