136 85. CYPERACE.^. 



1253. Carex tomentosa, Linn. 



Area * 2. 



South limit in Wiltshire. 



North limit in the same county. 



Estimate of provinces 1. Estimate of counties 2. 



Latitude 51 — 52. Local (Eng.) tj^pe of distribution. 



Agrarian region. Inferagrarian zone. 



Descends : — Ascends : — At 150 yards (Flower). 



Range of mean annual temperature 49. 



Native. Pratal or Paludal. Extremely local ; having 

 hitherto been found only in one station, although known 

 for many years as a native of England. I am indebted to 

 Mr. Robert "Withers and Mr. T. B. Flower for specimens 

 from the locality or station of " Water Meadows, Marston 

 Maisy, in the North-east division of Wiltshire, between 

 400 and 500 feet above the sea." Marston is near the 

 river Isis or upj)er Thames, and thus the actual station 

 of this plant would be within the province of Thames, 

 according to physical geography ; while, in adhering to 

 the arbitrary lines of separation between counties, it 

 must be placed in that of the Channel. Here, as in 

 various other similar instances, the discrepancy between 

 natural and conventional boundaries introduces a degree 

 of vagueness or falseness into botanico-geographical 

 science, which could be avoided only by a course that 

 would probably be deemed a greater evil and incon- 

 venience ; namelj'-, by giving up the county- divisions 

 altogether, tracing the boundaries of the provinces in 

 accordance with physical geograph}^ and forming new 

 subdivisions of the provinces, which would unfortunately 

 necessitate new names ; the old county names becom- 



