Blysmus.'] cvi. cyperace^. 491 



L R. dlha Vahl (wJiite B.) ; spikelets in a compact corymb 

 as lon^ as the outer bracteas, leaves narrow-linear, base of the 

 style without teeth, bristles 9 — 12 with deflexed teeth, stamens 

 2. Schcenus Z. : E. B. t. 985. 



Wet pastures and turfy bogs. 2/.. 6 — 8. — Spikelets o? flowers 

 white or whitish, collected so as to form a level surf^ice at the top. 

 In the flowers are 8 — 11 bristles, with reflexed teeth, much longer 

 than the germen, and decidedly placed outside the 2 stamens. Fruity 

 in this and B, fusca, obovate, compressed, distinctly margined, taper- 

 in"" at the base into a short stalk. Style persistent, thin, pellucid, 

 often greenish, dilated at the base, which is not articulated, nor so 

 broad as the seed, but immediately distinguishable from the shining , 

 achene by its colour and texture. 



2. Vx^.fusca Sm. (broivn _B.); spikelets in an oval head much 

 shorter than the outer bracteas, leaves neai^ly filiform, base of 

 the style with erect teeth, bristles 6 with ascending teeth, sta- 

 . mens 3. Kchoenus i. ; B. B. t. 1575. 



Bogs, principally in the south-west of England and Ireland. 11 . 

 7, 8. — Habit of the last, though very different in specific character. 

 Heads of floivers oval, rich brown ; spikelets larger, and the stigmas 

 more protruded. Stamens 3. Smith and Sturm have figured and 

 described only 3 bristles to each flower : we find 6 (which have erect 

 teeth : Wdsoti) in the British, as well as in American specimens, 

 which latter are in no respect different from ours. 



5. Blysmus Panz. Blysmus. 



Spikelets bracteated, ari-anged on a zigzag rachis into a dis- 

 tichous compressed spike. Glumes imbricated on all sides ; the 

 outermost gradually the largest, empty. Ilypogynous hHstles 

 3—6, or none. Achene compressed, oval, gradually tapering 

 into the persistent style. — N^amed from i^XvaiioQ^ souixe^ or 

 spring, near wdiich the species usually grow. 



1. B. compressusTariz, (broad-leaved B.) ; lowermost bractea 

 subulate somewhat leafy, bristles 3 — 6 with reflexed teeth per- 

 sistent as long as the permanent style, leaves flat keeled rough 

 on the margins and keel, Schoenus Z. : E. B. t. 791. Scirpus 

 caricinus E, FL v. i, p. 58. Carex uliginosa i. 



Bog*gy pastures, by river-sides and near the sea, not uncommon, 

 i;. 6,7. — Stem Q — 8 inches high, leafy. Glumes brown, striate. 

 Bristles with reflexed spines. The habit of this and the following 

 species is quite peculiar. 



2. B. rufus Link (iiarrow-leaved B.) ; bracteas all equally 

 membranaceous, bristles 1 — 6 slender caducous or none, leaves 

 very narrow grooved smooth. Schoenus E. B. t. 1010. Scir- 

 pus Schrad, : E. FL v. i. p. 59. 



Marshy plains, especially near the sea; particularly common in 



Y 6 



