found, with no oxccplion whatever, to have only 2 slignias each. Of the 29 species of 

 Cobresia described heretofore, there is known only one distigmalic species, viz. 

 Cobresia mciciantha Boeck, from western Tibet, from which, however, our plant is 

 distinctly divergent in its structure in other respects, as in its much higher and more 

 slender culms, narrower leaves, and in the structure of the spikelets themselves, and the 

 appearance of the nut. so as to preclude the possibility of a mistake of identity. In 

 Cobresia /ilifolin 'I'ihczan. ^= Cobresia capillifolia (Decne) C B. ("lahke var. jilifolia 

 (TuRCZAN.) IvOkenth., the number of the stigmas is reported to vary between 3 and 2. 

 To judge from the various descriptions and the comparatively numerous mistakes, this 

 variety seemed to be rather varying, and there is, accordingly, a possibility that my spe- 

 cimens might have to be referred to this one, perhaps as a special variety, having 

 constantly 2 stigmas only. Nor is it quite precluded that there aie concealed several 

 distinct species under the name of Cobresia filifolia. This is the more probable because 

 the home and centre of the genus Cobresia is central Asia, where occurring endemical- 

 ly in regions as yet comparatively little explored in point of botany. I think it expedient 

 to give the following description of the specimens in question: 



Rhizoma breve, repens. Ciilmi dense caespilosi, ad basiin saepiiis bulbose Inmescen- 

 les. vaginis brei'ibus, cinnamomeis. Icnuiler fibratis, dense veslili, '20-'iO vel saepissime 30-35 

 cm. alii, graciles. sed rigidi el erecti, sulcali, Iriqiietri, basi laeves, siiperne scabrinscnli 

 el siniililcr ac folia pallide virides aid cano-i>irides. Folia filiformia, 0.5 mm. lata, 

 canaliculala, in seclione transversa paene triquetra. longiludine sacpins dnas paries cnlmi, 

 rarius prope toliiis cnlmi longiludinem aequanlia, longe allenuala. in marginibns el prae- 

 cipne in parlibus superioribus scabriuscula. Inflorescentia spicala, in circnilu oblonge- 

 elliplica, lO-W mm. longa. i-7 mm. lala. su/Jiisca. Spicidae propriae ll-S, lineares, 

 subdensi florae, e vario numero spicnlarnm parlialium composilae. Spicnlae propriae 

 inferiores ma.iimae. bracteis sqaamiformibiis su/fullae. 6-10 spiculas parliales ferenles. 

 snperiores appru.vimalae. ebraclealae, sensim breviores. paucioribns spiculis parlialibus 

 inslniclae, snmmae singnlas tanlummodo parliales spiculas continenles. Bracleae inferiores 

 magnae, lu.viiriantes, ad basim cidmiim prope complectenles. paene reclangnlatae, su- 

 perne rede abscissae vel leviter emarginatae, el carina dorsi scabri inslrncla. in mncronem 

 breviorem longiorem, ad 10 mm. longiim, prodncla. Bracleae snperiores minores. Spicula 

 parlialis ex uno fere flore femineo basilari el 3 jloribus mo.sT/;//.s- superioribus composita; 

 numerus jlorum musculorum inter 1 el 5 varians. Squamcw pallide fuscae, 3,.j-'f mm. 

 longae, oblonge ovatae, attenuatae, subaculae, neruo dorsali scabro. sub apicem evanescenle, 

 instructae. Prophgllum floris feminei 3-'i mm. longum, 1.5 mm. ledum, fu.scum. mcnd>ra- 

 naceum, oblongum, superne fere rede abscissum. enervium.in marginibus basi leviter con- 

 nalum. Prophgllum floris masculi membranaceum, circa 3 mm. longum, anguslum, 

 scaphiforme, superne attenuatum, carina dislinda. acuta, saepias scabriola inslruclum. 

 Nux obovcda, circa 3 mm, longa, compressa, pallide flava, inferne slipite brevi, crasso 

 instruda, superne in rostrum rectum, conicum vel subcglindriacun} produdunv, marginibus 

 summis nonnunquam aculeis gracilibus instruda. Stigmata semper "2. 'i-li mm. longa. 



IG6 



