CLASS III. ORDER I.J 



ERIOPHORUM. 57 



* Spike solitary. 



1. E. alpi'num, (Fig. 84.) alpine Cotton-grass. Stem triangular, 

 naked above, below enveloped in sheaths of various length, the 

 upper ones bearing short leaves, spike small, oblongo-ovate, glumes 

 strongly keeled. 



English Botany, t. 311.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 67.— Lindley, Sy- 

 nopsis, p. 282. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 31. 



Root fibrous. Underground stems long and creeping, putting up 

 rows of numerous flowering stems, which are from four to eight inches 

 high, with three rough edges, scaly at the base, and enveloped in 

 several striated smooth sheaths. Leaves very short, channelled, a little 

 rough on the edges. Spike small, oblongo-ovate. Glumes few, 

 brownish, with a strong green keel. Hairs few, erect, fine, white, and 

 glossy. 



Habitat. — Bogs in Scotland ; " now probably extinct," Hook. Dis- 

 covered by Mr. Brown and Mr. G. Don in the Moss of Restenet, three 

 miles east ot Forfar; " but that bog is drained, and the plant has dis- 

 appeared." 



Perennial ; flowering in June. 



Specimens, in an excellent state of preservation, of this very interest- 

 ing plant, from which our drav%ing was made, are in the collection of 

 the Sheffield Literary and Philosophical Society; they appear to have 

 been sent by Mr. Brown to the late Mr. Salt, who has left this excel- 

 lent and valuable collection, a memento of his indefatigable exertions 

 in the science of Botany, which was pursued apart from the labours of 

 business, and procured him the esteem of numerous scientific and 

 learned men. 



2. E. vagina'tum, (Fig. 85.) harems tail Cotton-grass. Stem trian- 

 gular above, with obtuse swelling leafless sheaths, below round, 

 and the sheaths mostly terminating in long setaceous leaves, spike 

 ovate, glumes thin, membranous. 



English Botany, t. 783. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 66. — Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 281. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 31. — Sinclair, 

 Gramineus Woburnensis, p. 358. 



Root fibrous, tough, and wiry. Stems tufted, varying in height from 

 six inches to two feet, jointed, and arising from each joint above are 

 obtuse, inflated, striated sheaths, below it is enveloped in several sheaths 

 terminating in erect setaceous leaves of various lengths. Spike early 

 in the spring a silver grey, from the long, pointed, single ribbed, mem- 

 branous glumes, which are beautifully contrasted by the large yellow 

 anthers, and form at this early season of the year a pleasing object on 

 the barren-looking situations of their growth. Seed obovate, triangu- 

 lar, with a short obtuse point, and copiously surrounded at the base 

 with long, white, smooth hairs. 



VOL. I. I 



