^00 CAREX feOEN^INGilAUSENIANA 



and damp in places, and was carpeted with 8weet Woodruff' 

 {Asperula odoraf.a) and Mountain Speedwell {Veronica montana), 

 with occasional patches of Herb-Paris {Paris quadrifolia), Broad- 

 leaved Helleborine {Epipacfis latifolia), Tway-hlade {Lisiera 

 ovata), and 8pinulose Buckler Fern {Lastrita spinulosa). 

 Workin,^- Eastward towards the railwciy, we crossed it and 

 entered a flat, sheep-drained meadow — over which C arex paludosa, 

 though dwarf, was generally distributed — and made our way 

 in the direction of a stream, which flowed Northward from 

 Edlingham till it joined the Aln near Bolton, on whose 

 farther bank were indications of brushwood and bog-land. 

 Here we separated, with the x'lew of overtaking as much 

 ground as possible in the time at oiu- disposal. During a 

 careful exaiiiination of its Eastern bank, frequent clumps of 

 Carex panicidata and C. rtviota were met with, each in 

 abundant fruit, though the former manifested a tendency to 

 bear a lax and depauperated inflorescence. Their recurrence 

 together, however, induced a more minute inspection, which 

 resulted in the disco\ery of what seemed a hybrid form, which 

 my companion concurred in designating C. Boenninyhauseuiaita, 

 for the first time reported from Northumberland. 



Though fairly plentiful the plants were confined to the small 

 area of a copse, through which a spring percolated as it sought 

 the channel of the neighbouring stream. In colour they were 

 not specially conspicuous, but the stem being of a glossy 

 dark green, and the spikelets membranous and of a silvery 

 ■ brown hue, thev presented distinctive marks for identification. 

 Most of them attained a height of from eighteen inches to 

 two feet, and displayed the characteristics of each of their 

 reputed parents, the inflorescence consisting of spikelets, crowded 

 and simple at the top, and sepai-ate and compound at the 

 base, as in C. paniculata, while the lower bract exceeded it 

 in length, after the manner of C. retnota. In habit of growth 

 also they I'esembled the latter, springing not from stools, but 

 from tufted roots, which ramified through the black, peaty 

 mould. From attenuate growths of C. panicidata, which were 

 by no means rare, and ovei'toj^i^ed the Hybrid by at least 

 twelve inches, it could readily be supposed that a hurried 

 examination might give I'ise to ei-roi- thi-ough confounding 



