CTPEKACEiE. 547 



1. Broad Blysmus. Blysmus compressus, Fanz. 

 {Schoemts, Eng. Bot. t. V91.) 



Stems 6 to 8 inches high, with a creeping rootstock. Leaves much like 

 those of the common carnation Carex, shorter than the stem, 1 to 14 Unes 

 broad, flat or keeled. Spike terminal, about an inch long, consisting of 

 about 10 or 12 oblong spikelets, closely sessile on opposite sides of the axis, 

 each one about 3 lines long ; the broad, brown, glume-like outer bract 

 shorter than the mature spikelet. Glumes about 8, imbricated all round 

 the axis of the spikelet, the lowest one of all often empty. Stamens usually 

 3, with 3 to 6 smaU hypogynous bristles. Nut somewhat flattened, tapering 

 into the 2 -cleft style. 



In bogs and marshes, in Europe and Russian Asia, not extending to the 

 extreme north, and yet a mountain plant in southern Europe and the Cau- 

 casus. Occurs in many parts of England and possibly in southern Scotland, 

 but the following species, or the hlacTc Schoenus, have often been mistaken 

 for it. Not recorded from Ireland. Fl. summer. 



2. NarroTir Blysmus. Blysmus rufas, Link. 

 (Schosnus, Eng. Bot. t. 1010.) 

 Stems 6 inches to near a foot high, rather stifi" but slender, with a few 

 very narrow leaves near the base, shorter than the stem, erect and chan- 

 nelled or nearly cylindrical. Spike terminal, 6 to 9 lines long, consisting of 

 about 6 sessile spikelets, of a dark, shining brown, almost black, each con- 

 taining only 2 to 4 flowers, and almost concealed by the outer bract, which 

 is dark brown, thin, and shining, about 3 lines long. Glumes of the spike- 

 let imbricated all round the axis, the lowest one often empty. Stamens 3 ; 

 the hypogynous bristles minute or wanting. Nut rather larger than in the 

 broad B. 



, In marshy places, especially near the sea, in northern Europe and all 

 across Russian Asia, extending from northern Germany nearly to the 

 Arctic Circle. In Britain, particularly abundant in Scotland and northern 

 England, descending along the west coast of England, and not uncommon 

 in Ireland. Fl. summer. 



VI. SCXRPUS. SCIRPUS. 



Spikelets either solitary and terminal or several together, forming one or 

 more heads or clusters, or an irregular panicle, either terminal or apparently 

 below the top of the stem. Glumes several in each spikelet, imbricated all 

 round the axis, all containing a perfect flower in their axil except sometimes 

 the lowest one. Hypogynous bristles either 6 or fewer and shorter than the 

 glume, or altogether wanting. 



A large genus, widely distributed over the whole world, and, Uke other 

 large genera of Sedges, containing species very unhke each other in general 

 habit. It has been repeatedly endeavoured to divide it into several, with 

 characters derived from the hypogynous bristles, the shape of the base of 

 the style, the number of its parts, etc., but the smaller groups so formed still 

 include species as unlike each other as those of the original genus, whilst 

 species closely resembling each other in every other respect have become 

 widely separated. The genus is therefore here retained in its integrity, dis- 

 tinguished from JBeaksedge by the glumes all bearing flowers except the 



