339 



tity of matted fibrillae : the stems are short, often semiprostrate, and 

 the internodes are short and frequently somewhat arcuate, giving the 

 enthe stem a sinuous appearance. The figure represents the plant of 

 the natural size ; the four detached stems being portions of rather 

 more elongate specimens : both the sheaths and internodes are stria- 

 ted ; the striae ai'e few in number, six or eight may be taken as the 

 average : under a microscope the cuticle precisely resembles that of 

 the varieties already described : the ridges are grooved, the grooves 

 being margined on each side with a longitudinal series of minute flinty 

 tubercles : in the furrows are two longitudinal series of stomala placed 

 very near the ridges, indeed so near, that in stems dried in an imma- 

 ture state, they are frequently partially obscured by the ridges. Mr. 

 Wilson, whose surpassing accuracy deserves the thanks of all botani- 

 cal students, has pointed out a very decided error in my prior descrip- 

 tions, in which I have stated the stomata to be placed on the ridges 

 instead of in the furrows. On receiving Mr. Wilson's note, correct- 

 ing this error, I carefully re-examined the specimens, and found that 

 ray published description was erroneous, and Mr. Wilson perfectly 

 correct. The lower portion of the sheaths is perfectly concolorous 

 with that of the internode, the upper portion only is black, thus caus- 

 ing the sheath to appear much shorter than in the varieties previously 

 described : the teeth are short, wedge-shaped, and commonly without 

 the setiform apex which distinguishes the variety last described: their 

 edges are membranous, occasionally black, as represented in the de- 

 tached stems to the left of the figure, but usually white, giving the 

 plant that variegated appearance from which its name has probably 

 been derived. The catkin is small, apiculate, terminal and striated, 

 as in the preceding varieties ; its scales are few — eighteen 

 to twenty-five in number. 



The stem of this variety is much less liable to become 

 branched than either of the preceding, still this branch- 

 ing occasionally occurs ; in the margin I have represented 

 a New Brighton specimen bearing a branch ; the black 

 colouring of the sheath in this specimen extends much 

 lower than is usual, yet the teeth remain wedge-shaped. 

 Specimens occasionally occur in the same habitat repeat- 

 edly branched, and much more luxuriant than the one 

 figured. Of one of these in his own herbarium Mr. 

 Wilson has kindly furnished the following description. 



" 1 have some specimens of E. variegatum from New Brighton, op- 

 posite Liverpool, which are very much branched, and very tall ; but 



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