6G TRIANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Eriophoram. 



winter. First noticed in England by the Rev. Mr. Dodsworth, 

 according to Ray and Plukenet. 



Perennial. August. 



Root fibrous, with slender runners. Stems numerous, erect, very 

 slender, from 2 to C inches high, certainly quadrangular, though 

 somewhat compressed, smooth, with a tight red sheath at the 

 base. Leaves none, though there are many barren stems which 

 resemble them. Spike minute, of 5 or 6 flowers. Glumes brown, 

 acute, with a membranous edge. Stam. 3, their filaments flat, 

 longer than the seed, under the base of which they remain at- 

 tached, and hence, as Dr. Hooker well remarks, may have arisen 

 a report of this species having bristles under the germen. I 

 could never find any. The style is short, with 3 long stigmas. 

 Seed whitish, elliptic-oblong, with many longitudinal furrows, 

 and a small blunt beak. The seed of the lowest Jloiver, though 

 perfectly formed, sometimes remains diminutive and abortive. 

 Kernel, according to Dr. Hooker, smooth, obovate. 



27. ERIOPHORUM. Cotton-grass. 



Linn. Gen. 30. Juss. 27. Fl. Br. 58. Lam. t. 39. Gcertn. t. 2. 

 Nat. Orel, see n. 22. 



Spike of numerous flowers, all perfect. Gl. imbricated in 

 every direction, uniform, flat, mostly membranous and 

 greyish, pointed, with 1 or 3 slender ribs, not awned ; 

 1 or 2 of the outermost often empty. Cor. none. Filam. 

 3, capillary. Anth. pendulous, prominent, linear. Germ. 

 obovate, encompassed with numerous fine hairs from the 

 receptacle, shorter than the style, but subsequently greatly 

 elongated. Style simple, entirely deciduous. Stigm. 3, 

 downy. Seed obovate, sometimes minutely and bluntly 

 pointed, encompassed beneath with very copious, long, 

 cottony, white hairs. 



Moot perennial, with strong fibres. Stem erect, simple, 

 leafy ; rarely naked. Leaves linear, or lanceolate. Spikes 

 one or several, erect or pendulous. Natives of boggy 

 meadows, or alpine moors. 



# Spike solitary. 



1. E. vaginatum. Hare's-tail Cotton-grass. 



Stem triangular above; round below, with a swelling sheath. 

 Spike ovate. Glumes membranous. 



E. vaginatum. Linn. Sp. PL 76. Willd. v. 1 . 3 12. Vahl Enum. 

 v. 2. 388. Fl. Br. 58. Engl Bot. v. 13. t. 8/3. Ret. Rudb. 29. /. 

 Curt. Lond.fasc. 4. t. 10. Graves Br. Gr. t. 1. Fl. Dan. t. 236. 

 Poit. 8f Turp. Par. t. 49. Hook. Scot. 20. 



