777 



it has the power of forming adventitious ones." It seem? ^o me, that 

 we might just as correctly apply the term " adventitious " to the run- 

 ners of a strawberry, as to the suckers from the roots of a poplar : the 

 runner and the sucker are ordinary and natural modes of propagation. 

 —Id. 



391. Note on Car ex distans. I trust you will allow me to assure 

 Mr. Wilson, that when T make any enquiry, it is for the fur pose of 

 gaining information, (Phytol. 746). I do know that the stalk [scapus) 

 is that part of a plant which elevates and supports the flower ; and I 

 should expect that by the words " barren stalk " is meant that part of 

 the stem which lies between the uppermost fertile spike and the bot- 

 tom of the barren one; but after allowing this, I am at a loss to know 

 what is to be understood by the sheathing bracteas of these stalks. 

 I am also at a loss to know the meaning of remodelling the specific 

 characters of our Carices ; for if they have been once accurately de- 

 scribed, I see no occasion for their characters being remodelled : but 

 it appears to me that Mr. Wilson has always found himself at fault in 

 making out the diflerence between Carex distans and C. binervis (see 

 * British Flora,' ed. 1, p. 396, and ed. 5, p. 430). I do not pretend to 

 have any superior skill .in discriminating our Carices, but I will- say 

 that Carex distans may always be known from C. binervis by the foi'm 

 of the nut ; as see Mr. Leighton's very correct outline figures of that 

 part. If I were to remodel the description of C. distans, it would 

 stand as follows. I should first place it in a section with C. flava and 

 pulla. I make this arrangement, because the stigmas in these three 

 plants are so variable, C. pulla having from two to three, flava from 

 two to four, and distans from three to five. Carex distans. I. — Bar- 

 ren spike solitary, with obtiise scales. Fertile spikes from two to four 

 (rarely five), erect, with the peduncles inclosed about half way up by 

 the sheathing bases of the foliaceous bracteas ; ligula opposite the 

 leaves, blunt. Perigynium oval, suddenly contracted and forming a 

 narrow bifid beak, which is often toothed on its edges, ribbed, ribs 

 equal, seven on each side, two on the margins: nut oblong, elliptical, 

 equally attenuated at each end, the number of angles is from three to 

 five, depending on the number of stigmas. This will be found some- 

 what at variance with Mr. Babington's description of C. distans, the 

 reason of which is that Mr. Babington has referred a plant to that 

 species which I consider distinct. It differs from C. distans in hav- 

 ing its perigynium much larger and much less distinctly ribbed, and 

 not suddenly contracted, but regularly tapering to the bifid point. 

 The glumes of the fertile spikes in this plant are only about half the 



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