456 Mr Philip Sewell on the Flora of [sess. liii. 



(who has so carefully collected upon the Vard0 islands) may 

 have gathered this form and regarded it as C. 7iorvcgica; for 

 this name appears in his list. It may possibly be that, from 

 the very fact that access to the island is withheld by Govern- 

 ment, the plant has been overlooked by botanists visiting 

 Yard0, but I cannot think otherwise than that specimens in 

 certain of the Swedish collections wall be discovered approxi- 

 mately identical with mine. If this does not prove to be 

 the case, the extreme rarity of Clarke and Bennett's 

 species — which certainly as far as the islands of Vard0 are 

 concerned is restricted to this one alone — naturally attracts 

 attention to the exceptional conditions of its habitat. The 

 soil was unusually rich, the exact habitat of the few tufts 

 was not only sheltered, but the near cliff probably affords an 

 almost continuous shade in the months when the sun's alti- 

 tude is greatest. Perhaps other instances of similar varia- 

 tion under such conditions may be forthcoming ; at present 

 there is no proof, only the suggestion, that the diagnostic 

 features have any especial relationship to the habitat.* 

 Messrs Clarke and Bennett's description is as follows : — 



Carex Sewellii, Arth. Bennett et C. B. Clarke. Sp. nova ; 

 spicis 3-6, in apice culmi approximatis, sessilibus, 

 erectis, terminal! basi mascula ; glumis late ovatis, 

 obtusis, nitidis, castaneis conspicue albo-marginatis ; 

 stylo 2-fido aut 3-fido ; utriculo ellipsoideo acuminato 

 rostrato. See Plate VIII. 



C. lagojnnce et C. heleonasti proxima, differt glumis magis 

 obtusis, late scarioso-marginatis, spiculis erectis, utri- 

 culo rostrato. [C. B. Clarke, Jan. 1889.] 



Specimens in herbaria of Edinburgh and Kew ; also with 

 Mr C. B. Clarke, Mr Arthur liennett, and Professor Blytt. 



By far the richest locality on the main island of Vard0 

 is an extent of turf covering what is evidently a raised sea- 

 beach. The pebbles and sandy soil underlying this turf 

 have been protected by a considerable crag to the north- 

 west, giving us a suiull illustration of " crag and tail " 



* Professor Blytt, to wlioin I sent a sjiecimeii of tliis Carex, writes, August 

 21 : — " It seems, however, to me to be only a luxuriant form of C iMjopina, 

 caused hy the exceptionally fertile locality in which it was found." 



Mr Baker considers the differences insufficient to rc(j[uire a new species. 



