39 



JUNCUS TENUIS Willd. IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

 By Arthur Bennett, F.L.S. 



During the interval between EiKjlish Botany, t. 2174 (1816), 

 and Mr. Towndrow's note in this Journal for 1884 (p. 91), no 

 confirmation of Don's supposed find, nor any mention of the plant 

 occurring elsewhere in Great Britain, seems to be on record in any 

 British Flora. In this Journal for 1885 (p. 1, t. 253) Mr. Eidley 

 describes the species, with its synonymy, distribution, &c., on the 

 faith of Mr. Towndrow's specimens. 



In 1887 Mr. J. McAndrew sent me specimens from a roadside 

 in Kirkcudbrightshire {Jo7irn. Bot. 1887, p. 374), where it occurred 

 among other rushes and grasses that were certainly native. In 

 August, 1890, Mr. McAndrew sent me specimens from a station 

 two miles distant from the above. In 1889 Mr. R. Scully sent me 

 specimens from Kerry, where he found the plant in an old (grass- 

 grown) road, and also near the sea, among Carex extensa, C. distans, 

 J. Gerardi, &c. {Joum. Bot. 1889, p. 335). 



In November, 1889, it was gathered by Mr. P. Ewing between 

 the Bridge of Weir and Kilmalcolm, Renfrew. It had been sent 

 by Mr. J. Thomson in August, 1863, to the Greenock Museum, 

 under the name of " J. acutijiunis," from " Dennistoun, Kilmalcolm," 

 Renfrew. There it occurred "for several hundred yards along the 

 roadside, at a place where the soil is rather sandy" [Trans. Nat. 

 Hist. Soc. Glasgoiv, p. 168 (1891) ). 



In August, 1891, Mr. L. Watt found the plant by the side of 

 the River Leven, Dumbartonshire ; numerous specimens from both 

 these Scotch counties were kindly sent me by the finders. 



Mr. Griffith sent me specimens from Port Madoc, Carnarvon- 

 shire, where it had been found by Mr. Williams and the Rev. W. H. 

 Painter, on "a large tract of land reclaimed from the sea" (Joum. 

 But. 1891, p. 120). In 1894 (Joum. Bot. p. 311) Mr. Graham 

 records it from Cornwall (near Fowey?), "on a strip of waste land 

 by the high road," but does not state with what plants it was 

 associated. Last month Messrs. Kidston and Stirling sent me 

 specimens from Stirlingshire, and remark, "It will be difficult to 

 explain its introduction here, even when it grows on a roadside." 



Thus in the course of ten years we have this plant occurring in 

 no less than seven counties of England and Scotland, and in 

 Ireland. 



In the east of France it is considered to be an introduced plant, 

 but in the Department Saone-et-Loire and Jura it occurs plentifully, 

 "et certe indigenus" (Nyman, Consp. Supp. 313). Sender (Flora 

 of Hainburt/h] says it occurs on sandy ground, but enters it with the 

 other Junci, without any doubt; neither do Garcke (Fl. Nord. et 

 Mit. Deutschl. (1858) ) nor V. den Bosch (Fl. Batavia;) express any; 

 though Nyman says, "Germ. (plur. sed sporad.)." 



In 1848, Maly [Eniim. Fl. Atist.) places it within brackets, but 

 adds in MS. in his own copy, "Bohemia, Karl"; and in 1861, 

 when Neilreich published his Supplement to Maly's book, only thia 



