ing it, as may be the case in Scirpus caespitosus The nuts are small, from 1,5 to 2 mm. 

 long, obovoid, and at the top slightly drawn out into a very low, broad, cylindric, per- 

 sistent style, rounded at the summit. Their inner sides are plain or slightly concave, the 

 outer sides shghtly keeled. The style has an inarticulate base and 3 long stignias, about 

 twice as long as the style. Perigonial bristles are altogether wanting. This Siberian 

 form is distinctly divergent from the European forms by its rather long and straight 

 culms, very densely tufted, while the European ones have a long, traihng, much branch- 

 ed rootstock, with scattered, shorter and frequently somewhat ascending culms. 

 Compared with the figure of this typical species in Reichenbach, Icones Flor. Germ. 

 8, Tab. CCC, Fig. 709, the nut also appears to be less distinctly triquetrous; as a rule, 

 the inner side is nearly plain or slightly concave, and it is also destitute of the fine, sharp 

 point, so conspicuous in the figure of the European form. The style in the Siberian 

 form is also considerably shorter. Moreover, the rootstock is less branched. 



Of rather common occurrence in moist grass-field at Askys, near the river Abakan, 

 where observed in flower and with ripe fruits in the middle of June. 



Distribution: Europe, Siberia, south-western and central Asia, north-western Mon- 

 golia, North America. 



Eriophorum vaginatum L. Spec. PI. ed. II (1762) p. 76; Turczan. Cat. Baical. no. 

 1200; Ledeb. Fl. Ross. IV, p. 252; Turczan. Fl. Baical.-Dahur. (1855, II) p. 317, no. 1213; 

 Meinshaus. Cyperac. Russl. (1901) p. 269; KptM. $jr. Ajit. VI (1912) p. 1436. 



Scattered in subalpine peat-bogs in the Amyl taiga, near Kushabar, and in the 

 Urjankai country near Ust Algiac, where I have taken it with fruits at the end of July. 



The specimens collected probably belong to var. brachyanlherum (Trautv.) (Erio- 

 phorum brachyantherum Trautv. Fl. Ochotens. Phaenog. p. 98; Meinshaus. 1. c). 

 However, as the plants were past flowering, I have not been able to measure the anthers 

 with absolute certainty. Specimens from Ust Algiac are large and vigorous, with fruits 

 from 2,5 to 3 mm. long, of a brownish colour. The leaf-sheaths are not much swollen. 



Distribution: The species is distributed in northern and central Europe (and also 

 in northern Italy and Bulgaria), south-western Asia, Siberia, northern Mongolia, Sakha- 

 lin, Japan, North America, Greenland. 



Eriophorum angustifolium Roth, Tent. Fl. Germ. II (1793) p. 63; Ledeb. Fl. Ross. 

 IV, p. 254; Turczan. Fl. Baical.-Dahur. (1855, II) p. 318, no. 1216; Kptu. ^jl. A.tt. VI (1912) 

 p. 1437. Eriophorum polystachion L. Spec. PI. ed. II (1762) p. 76; Ledeb. Fl. Alt. I, p. 

 71; Turczan. Cat. Baical. no. 1203. 



Very common in the swamps at Ust Kamuishto, where it varies considerably as to 

 the length of the culms, the breadth of the leaves, and the length of the bristles, etc. 

 I have colected forms with very long-stalked spikelets,f./axum Mert. el Koch, Deutschk 

 Fl. I (1823) p. 456, and forms with quite sessile spikelets, f, Vaillanli (Poit. et Turp.) 

 DuBY, Rot. Gall. (1828) p. 487. In the Altaian, at an altitude of about 2100 m. above sea- 

 level, I have collected one form with lower culms, only from 25 to 30 cm. high, and 3, 



174 



