BOTANICAL REPORT — 1880. II3 



variety) and a continental plant named C. polyrhiza Wallr., 

 resembling the latter in the many stems thrown up in large tufts 

 from a creeping fibrous root. In a lineal arrangement of British 

 species its position will be between C. prcecox and C. pihdifera. 

 It is a graceful, long narrow bright green-leaved plant, much 

 larger in size than the pill-headed sedge: about the stature of C. 

 divisa or C. pallescens, and in general appearance is not unlike the 

 first named. It has a spike, which from its interrupted, irregular 

 character (not patently composed of separate and distinct catkins) 

 simulates rather the androgynous section of the genus Carex, than 

 those with a terminal, wholly staminiferous catkin, although 

 belonging to them nevertheless. When I first sent it to Mr. H. 

 C. Watson, that gentleman thought it might prove to be C. poly- 

 rhiza Wallr. {iwibrosa, Hoppe. ; iongifolia, Host.); but further 

 inquiry showed that though C. poly?-h?za approximates towards 

 C. pilulifera and recedes from C. prcecox, by reason of densely 

 tufted fibrous roots, it has not the prolonged leaf-like bract to the 

 elongated lowest spikelet, which forms the most marked feature of 

 the Plumpton Carex. As regards this last character, however, 

 Mr. Watson points out that in 'English Botany,' Syme's 3rd ed., 

 vol. X., plate mdcliii., a second figure of a fruiting spike of C. 

 pilulifera is given to shew a bract, which although not leafy, yet 

 a little overtops the male catkin; and adds that in his herbarium 

 is a specimen with a still longer bract than the one drawn in the 

 'E. B.' plate, thus furnishing another link to connect the Plumpton 

 sedge with C. pilulifera. As regards their bracts I may add that 

 Prof Babington's definition of C. pilulifera in his 'Manual of 

 British Botany' (ed. v. p. 375) is "bracts small, lowest scarcely 

 leaf-like, awl-shaped, not sheathing" — characters in no way fitting 

 C. saxumbra. Dr. J. T. Boswell, however, struck by the very 

 different glume and much more spindleshaped fruit, thinks it may 

 be a distinct species, and advises cultivation, to ascertain whether 

 it will retain its characteristics or revert to the C. pilulifera of our 

 exposed wastes; but upon the supposition that it is a luxuriant 

 sylvan sport, due to its place of growth at Plumpton being so unlike 



