CVrERACEvE. 55 



in the north of Enjjland and in Scotland, but in the latter country not 

 extending to Oi-kuey or Shetland. Rather rare, but widely distri- 

 buted in Ireland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Very similar in habit to S. multicaulis, having the same manner of 

 growth: viz. a short rootstock with a tuft of stems at the apex only, 

 I)ut producing long whitish stolons. The stems of S. pauciflorus, 

 however, are fewer in a tuft, much more slender, and more of them 

 Ixirren; their height is 2 to 10 inches; the basal sheaths are tight, and 

 rather obliquely truncate, but scarcely so much so as S. multicaulis. 

 Spikes I to |- inch long ; the two lowest glumes larger than the others, 

 and opposite, the lowest one somewhat hooded at the base on the 

 back ; all the glumes with flowers on their axils, the number of 

 flowers in each spike varying from 3 to 7. Nut yellowish-grey, 

 similar in size and shape to that of S. multicaulis, but under an 

 ordinary lens more distinctly punctate-striate, and gradually attenu- 

 ated into the slender dark base of the style, which does not form a 

 tubercle as in S. multicaulis. Hypogynous bristles usually (J, three 

 long and three short, the longest ones about as long as the nut. 



Chocolate-headed Club-rush. 



German, Amibluthige Simse. 



SPECIES v.— SCIRPUS CiESPITOSUS. Litm. 



Plate IWXC. 



Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VIII. Tab. CCC. Fig. 710. 

 BUlof, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Essicc. No. 2953. 

 Baeothiyoii ciEspitosum, Dietr. Spec. Plant. Vol. IT. p. 89. 

 (H)Eleocliari.s csespitosa, Link; Lindl. Syn. Brit. Fl. p. 281. 

 Limnocliloa csespitosa, Eeich. Fl. Germ. Excurs. p. 79. 



Rootstock not creeping, producing a large very dense tuft of 

 stems, without stolons. Stems erect and ascending, slender, terete, 

 deeply striate, leafless ; basal sheaths numerous, one or two of the 

 upper ones furnished with a very short setaceous-herbaceous lamina. 

 Spike small, oblong-cylindrical, compressed, few-flowered. Glumes 

 lanceolate, subacute, orange-brown; the two lowest glumes larger 

 and broader than the others, nearly as long as the spike, the lowest 

 one sometimes exceeding it, but not entirely surrounding its base^ 

 not hooded on the back, with the midrib extending to the apex, and 

 usually produced beyond it, forming either a green callous point, or 

 a more or less elongate leaflike process. Hypogynous bristles usually 



