108 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



these characters are constant. In British examples of the typical 

 species the perigynia are sometimes fully developed and reflexed by 

 the middle of June and are generally in this condition before the end 

 of July, by which date 1 have never seen reliexed perigynia in any of 

 the montane plants observed in .si In. The British material at Ke\\ 

 and South Kensington is scanty and throws hut little light on the 

 question, there being one small specimen in Herb. Mus. Brit. ( Wiqht, 

 Clova Mts., 1834) with deciduous bracts and deflexed perigynia, which 

 may be the montane form, while one at Kew (Croall. PI. of lhaeniar, 

 no. 251, July, 1855) shows the perigynia erect. In the collection of 

 Mr. C. Bailey, however, is a tuft from Glen Callater, obviously the 

 mountain plant, collected 10th September, 1804. which has the bracts 

 fallen and the perigynia irregularly spreading or reliexed, and anot'ier 

 from Twll Du, dated 27th July, 187(3, that is very similar. It 

 therefore appears that the perigynia do not remain erect till they fall, 

 but that they eventually reflex as in the type, though to a less degree 

 and much later in the season. 



In other respects this form of G. pulicaris shows minor differences 

 such as may be expected from its mountain habitat. It is relatively 

 dwarf, 10-12 (rarely 15) cm. instead of 15-20 (rarely 30) cm. in 

 height, and is often much less caespitose, probably owing to its growth 

 in narrow rock-clefts. Its spikelets are rather shorter and bear fewer 

 llowers, the female commonly less than eight; and the fruiting 

 perigynia appear, on an average, a little shorter and less attenuated 

 than in lowland examples. 



These differences seem to be the direct results of environment and 

 insufficient to justify varietal distinction, but, viewed with the erect 

 perigynia, they give the plant during a considerable part of the 

 summer a facies of its own which may warrant separation as a form. 

 This may be diagnosed thus :— 



Carex pulicaris L., b. Montana, forma nova. 



Planta typo humilior saepius laxe ca'spitosa culmis 10-12 (rarius 

 15) cm. altis prsedita. Spicule paulo breviores lloribus paucioribus 

 vuigo sub-8 femineis. Perigynia fructifera verisimiliter quam in 

 typo nonnihil breviora minus attenuata, diu erecta sed tandem patentia 

 vel irregulariter deflexa, ubi bractese cadunt. 



This form is known in Britain from Glen Callater, S. Aberdeen 

 (alt. 2700') ! Glen Muick, S. Aberdeen, T. R. Sim in Hb. C. Bailey ; 

 Glen Dole, Forfar (2000'), G. E. Salmon in Hb. Mus. Brit.; Glen 

 Fee, Forfar (2300'), E. S. Marshall in Hb. A. Bennett; Ben Nevis, 

 Westerness (2500')! Craig-na-lochan, Mid Perth (2000')! Bein- 

 Dubh-Chronzie, Mid Perth (2000'), E. S. M. in Hb. A. Bennett; 

 Ben More, Mid Perth (2000 ), E. S. 31. in Hb. A. Bennett; Ben 

 Laoigh, Mid Perth (2000') ! Clogwyn dur Arddu, Snowdon, Car- 

 narvon (2200') ! and Twll Du, Carnarvon (1800') ! A small example 

 in Herb. Kew from Helvellyn, collected by Bentham in 1823, probably 

 belongs here also ; and likewise an Irish specimen in Herb. C. Bailey, 

 collected by Dr. Druce on Mangerton, Co. Kerry, in August, 1875. 



With the Continental material at Kew are two Pyrenean specimens, 

 gathered in 1822 and 1 SL'5, and labelled " C. pulicaris /" by Bentham, 

 that seem referable to this form, and a third example in good condi- 



