530 THE SEDGE TAMILT. 



In marshes and Isogs, common in northern and Arctic Europe, Asia, and 

 America, but restricted to mountain-ranges in central and southern Europe, 

 and not recorded from the Caucasus. Frequent in Britain, excepting some 

 of the southern counties of England. Fl. summer. 



6. Floating Scirpus. Scirpus fluitans, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 216. Isolepis, Brit. Fl.) 

 Easily known by its long, slender, branching stems, either floating on the 

 ■water, or forming soft, densely matted masses on its margin, with linear- 

 subulate leaves, ^ to 2 inches long. Spikelets sohtary and terminal, oblong, 

 greenish, not 2 lines long, the outer bract without any leafy point. Flowers _ 

 without hypogynous bristles. Styles 2-cleft. 



In pools and stiU waters, generally distributed over Europe, and re-ap- 

 pearing in the southern hemisphere, but not recorded from Asia or Ame- 

 rica. Scattered over the whole of Britain, but not very common. Fl. 

 summer. 



7. Bristle Scirpus. Scirpus setaceus, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1693. Isolepis, Brit. Fl.) 

 Stems slender, 2 or 3 inches high, forming httle dense tufts, with 1 or 2 

 short, subulate leaves on each stem, sheathing it at the base. Spikelets soh- 

 tary, or 2 or 3 together in a little cluster, appearing lateral, the subulate point 

 of the outer bract forming a continuation of the stem. Each spikelet is 

 ovoid, seldom 2 hnes long ; the glumes broad and short, dark brown, with 

 a green midrib. No hypogynous bristles. Style 3-cleft. Nut very small, 

 marked with about 8 longitudinal ribs and furrows, only visible under a 

 magnify ing-gl ass. 



In muddy places, on the margins of pools, etc., in Europe and Eussian 

 Asia, from the Mediterranean nearly to the Arctic Circle. Generally dis- 

 tributed over Britain. Fl. summer. 



8. Savi's Scirpus. Scirpus Savii, Seb. et Maur. 

 (Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2782. Isolepis, Brit. Fl.) 



Very like the bristle S., but nsuaUy still more slender, although some- 

 times attaining 6 or 8 inches ; the point of the outer bract scarcely ex- 

 ceeds the spikelet, and the nut has not the longitudinal ribs and furrows of 

 the bristle S. 



In marshes, and edges of pools, chiefly near the sea, frequent in the 

 southern hemisphere, and in the Mediterranean region of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, extending along the western coasts to the British Channel. In 

 Britain, on the southern and westei'n coasts of England, the west of Scot- 

 land, and Ireland. Fl. summer. 



9. Clustered Scirpus. Scirpus Holoschoenus, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1612. Isolepis, Brit. Fl.) 

 A stiff, rush-hke plant, with a stout, creeping rootstock, and cylindrical 

 stems, 1 to 2 feet high or even more, with 1 or 2 stifi" leaves sheathing the 

 base. Spikelets very numerous and small, closely packed into one or more 

 globular heads, forming a lateral cluster or umbel, the largest stitf outer 

 bract forming an apparent continuation of the stem. The largest heads 

 are seldom above 4 or 5 lines diameter, and contain upwards of 30 spikelets, 

 of a light brown colour, each containing many flowers. No hypogynous 

 bristles. Style 2-cleft or rarely 3-cleft. 



