74 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



shorter than the spikes. Lower spikes shortly stalked or subsessile 

 in fruit. Stems more slender and smaller than in var. a. 



In bogs and wet heaths. Common, and generally distributed. 

 Var. 7 on mountains. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring, early Summer. 



Rootstock extensively creeping, producing tufts of leaves sur- 

 rounding flowering stems, and at the extremities of elongated stolons 

 barren tufts of leaves. These radical leaves vary much in breadth : 

 in var. a they are scarcely \ inch, in var. 3 they are sometimes nearly 

 ^ inch, and in var. y barely J- inch. Stems 6 inches to 1 foot high in 

 flower in var. a, and 12 to 15 inches m fruit: in var. 3 they are some- 

 times 2 feet high in fruit; in var. y rarely above 6 or 8 inches. 

 Fruiting spikes 1 to 2 inches long, rounded-truncate at the apex. 

 Fruit about -^^ inch long, narrower than that of E. vaginatum, and less 

 rounded at the apex. 



Var. y has the spikes sometimes reduced to 1, and the lowest 

 bract very short; but it may at once be distinguished from E. vagi- 

 natum by its creeping rootstock, and by the uppermost sheath on the 

 stem terminating in a lamina, though this is sometimes short and 

 setaceous. 



Common Cotton Grass. 



French, Linaigretie a pedoncules lisses. German, Schmalbldttriges WoUgras. 



The cotton-Uke down of this plant is used in moorland districts for stuffing pillows, 

 but is too apt to absorb moisture and cake to be very good for such purposes. 

 Attempts have been made to bring it into use as a substitute for cotton, and very 

 tolerable thread has been spun from it ; but the fibres are shorter and much more 

 ligid than those of cotton, and do not bear twisting so well. Nevertheless, some very 

 line cloth was made a short time since, by a Mr. Hellivvell, with this vegetable hair. 

 It can be collected at a low cost, and it is very possible that it may eventually be 

 applied to some useful purpose, especially as the boggy land on which it flourishes is 

 worthless for any other species of cultivation. It has been suggested that paper might 

 be made of it. Candle and lamp wicks are made of the down by country people. 

 In former times the leaves and root were considered good as a medicine in diarrhoea, 

 as they possess, in common with most of the family, considerable astringency. 



SPECIES IV.— E RIO PHORUM GRACILE. Koch. 



Plate MDCVI. 



Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. Vni. Tab. CCXC. 

 E. triquetrum, Soppy. Beich. Fl. Germ. Excurs. p. 79. 



Not cfespitose. Rootstock extensively creeping, its branches pro- 

 ducing stems at the apex. Radical leaves few, channelled, keeled, 

 ■triquetrous, throughout. Stems slender, trigonous, solid, with 2 or 3 



