liRITlSlI EUPinJAST^ 11 



Tlie question tlierefore arises as to whether these are eglandular 

 JE^ occidentcdis or small forms of E. horealis. 



4. E. CURTA Fries. Stem generally short, stout, Avith few or 

 many branches below the middle, internodes short oi in some moun- 

 tain forms long ; branches s^^reading or ascending, sometimes com- 

 pound. Spikes rather stout, occupying the greater part of the stem 

 and branches, internodes short, generally hidden by the bracts. Leaves 

 and bracts 5-7 mm. long, the upper bracts with triangular or lanceo- 

 late subobtuse or acute and apiculate teeth. Hairs long and numerous 

 or, in var. glahrescens, short or minute and few. 



Fries's description is, " E. officijialis, /?. montana^ y. curt a pyra- 

 midata, ramosissima, foliis squarrosis, floribus exiguis amethystinis." 

 Fr. Novit. Flor. Suec. ed. 2, p. 198 (1828). 



Wettstein describes the stem of E. ciirta as " thick, rarely thin, 

 generally branched below as far as the middle." He also refers to 

 slender and only slightly branched forms, and his figure, Mon. t. 7. 

 fig. 11, of an original specimen, represents a slender plant 7'5 cm. 

 high, with a pair of branches at the middle. Townsend's figure, 

 Mon. t. 375, represents a plant from Moidart, with two or three 

 branches nearly from the base. Many diverse forms have been 

 referred to E. carta and its variety glahrescens which are, in my 

 opinion, more or less hairy or even glabrous forms of other species. 

 Some of these are noticed under the species to which I believe them 

 to belong. My experience is that E. curta, as described by Fries and 

 Wettstein, is much less common in this country than E. nemorosa. 



*ExGLA2v'D. — Somerset. On turf behind the sand-hills, Berrow, 

 July 1915. Stem not exceeding 11 cm. high, more or less branched. 

 Spike with short internodes, stout or slender ; teeth of the upper 

 bracts ovate to lanceolate ; leaves and bracts very sparingly setulose. 

 A small glabrous specimen from this neighbourhood was referred with 

 doubt by Townsend to E. curta var. glahrescens. The present 

 gathering consists of forms some of which approach E. curta and 

 others E. nemorosa. — Dorset. Middlebere Heath, Corfe Castle, June 

 1916, I. M. Eojjer. Plants about 6 cm. high and broad ; leaves and 

 bracts thinly setulose. Characteristic examples of var. glahrescens. — 

 DEXBiaH. Great Ormes Head, Llandudno, Aug. 1916, Mrs, Wedg- 

 tvood. This is a peculiar form with many compound branches from 

 the base to the middle, and, in consequence, the larger plants resemble 

 in habit E. nemorosa. The leaves, bracts, and calyx-teeth are stained 

 with purplish black on the margins and are minutely and sparingly 

 setulose ; the flowers are small, and vary in colour from dark violet 

 with an orange spot to lilac and white or entirely white. I place these 

 plants here with considerable hesitation. — W. Lancaster. On flat 

 sandy places between St. Anne's-on-the-Sea and the lake at Fairhaven, 

 Aug. 1902, C. Bailey. Stem stout, up to S cm. high, plant densely 

 hairy, principal cauline leaves sometimes longer than the bracts. — 

 St. Anne's-on-the-Sea, Aug. 1897. The same as the last, but taller. — 

 Sea-embankment, Fairhaven, Aug. 1901. Similar ta the last, but 

 with broader, less hairy spikes. Mr. Bailey's gatherings on this coast 

 are much more distinct and characteristic than many of the forms 

 referred to E. curta, and, in my opinion, may be regarded as typical 



c 2 



