found, with no exception whatever, to have only 2 stigmas each. Of the 29 species of 

 Cobresia described heretofore, there is known only one distigmatic species, viz. 

 Cobresia macrantha Boeck, from western Tibet, from which, however, our plant is 

 distinctly divergent in its structure in other respects, as in its much higher and more 

 slender culms, narrower leaves, and in the structure of the spikelets themselves, and the 

 appearance of the nut, so as to preclude the possibility of a mistake of identity. In 

 Cobresia filifolia Turczan. = Cobresia capillifolia (Decne) C. B. Clarke var. filifolia 

 (TuRCZAN.) KiJKENTH., the number of the stigmas is reported to vary between 3 and 2. 

 To judge from the various descriptions and the comparatively numerous mistakes, this 

 variety seemed to be rather varying, and there is, accordingly, a possibility that my spe- 

 cimens might have to be referred to this one, perhaps as a special variety, having 

 constantly 2 stigmas only. Nor is it quite precluded that there are concealed several 

 distinct species vmder the name of Cobresia filifolia. This is the more probable because 

 the home and centre of the genus Cobresia is central Asia, where occurring endemical- 

 ly in regions as yet comparatively little explored in point of botany. I think it expedient 

 to give the following description of the specimens in question: 



Rhizoma breve, repens. Culmi dense caespitosi, ad basim saepius bulbose lumescen- 

 tes, vaginis brevibus, cinnamomeis, ienuiler fibratis, dense vestili, 20-iO vel saepissime 30-35 

 cm. alti. graciles, sed rigidi et erecti, sulcati, iriquetri, basi laeves, superne scabriusculi 

 et similiter ac folia pallide virides aut cano-virides. Folia filiformia, 0,5 mm. lata, 

 canalicidata, in sectione transversa paene triqiietra, longitudine saepius duas partes culmi, 

 rarius prope totius culmi longitudinem aequantia, longe attenuata, in marginibus et prae- 

 cipue in partibus superioribus scabriuscula. Inflorescentia spicata, in circuilu oblonge- 

 elliptica, 10-20 mm. longa, k-1 mm. lata, suffusca. Spiculae propriae 6-8, lineares, 

 subdensi florae, e vario numero spicularum partialium compositae. Spiculae propriae 

 inferiores maximae, bracteis squamiformibus suffultae, 6-10 spiculas partiales ferentes, 

 superiores approximalae, ebracteatae, sensim breviores, paucioribus spiculis partialibus 

 instructae, summae singulas tanlummodo partiales spiculas continentes. Bracteae inferiores 

 magnae, luxuriantes, ad basim culmum prope complectenies, paene rectangulatae, su- 

 perne recte abscissae vel leviter emarginatae, et carina dorsi scabri instructa, in mucronem 

 breviorem longiorem, ad 10 mm. longum, producla. Bracteae superiores minores. Spicula 

 partialis ex uno fere flore femineo basilari et 3 floribus masculis superioribus composita; 

 numerus florum musculorum inter 1 et 5 varians. Squamae pallide fuscae, 3,5-i mm. 

 longae, oblonge ovatae, atlenuatae, subacutae, nervo dorsali scabro, sub apicem evanescente, 

 instructae. Prophyllum floris feminei 3-'f^ mm. longum, 1,5 mm. latum, fuscum, membra- 

 naceum, oblongum, superne fere recte abscissum, enervium,in marginibus basi leviter con- 

 natum. Prophyllum floris masculi membranaceum, circa 3 mm. longum, angustum, 

 scaphiforme, superne attenuatum, carina distincta, acuta, saepius scabriola instructum. 

 Nux obovala, circa 3 mm. longa, compressa, pallide flava, inferne stipite brevi, crasso 

 instructa, superne in rostrum rectum, conicum vel subcylindriacum productum, marginibus 

 summis nonnunquam aculeis gracilibus instructa. Stigmata semper 2, 4-6 mm. longa. 



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