Scirpus.] CYPERACE.T5. 545 



very obtuse, with a stout green dorsal rib, brown when ripe. Sti/le scarcely 

 enlarged at the base ; stigmas 3. Fruit turbinate, somewhat trigonate, when ripe 

 brown and shining, finely striated, with depressed points. Bristles none, though 

 the sometimes persistent filaments may be mistaken for them. 



This species, which until within ibcse last few years was entirely overlooked as 

 a native of Britain, greatly resembles S. setaceus, but is smaller ; the variety /3. is 

 also very like Eleocharis acicularis in size and habit; hence both forms have been 

 confounded with these two long-recognized species, though obviously distinct from 

 either. It is clearly figured and described in Parkinson, ' Theatrum,' p. 1270, 

 fig:. 9, as " Gramen junceum exile Plimmotha," small Rush-grass of Plymouth, 

 and is mentioned by Merrett, Pin. p. 55, as growing at the S.K. point of the Isle 

 of Wight. 



Though so abundant in this island, S. Savii has probably reached with us its 

 eastern limit, as it has not been yet known to occur in any part of Sussex. The 

 species is completely a maritime one, and is never found inland at any consider- 

 able distance from the sea. 



5. S. Taberneemontani, Gmel. Lesser Bull-rush.* " Spikelets 

 in compound lateral umbels mostly shorter than the rounded 

 almost leafless stem, glumes notched mucronate rough with raised 

 points ciliated, anthers glabrous at the end, style bifid, achene 

 elliptical compressed (pale brown)." — Br. Fl. p. 481. S. glaucus, 

 Sm. : E. B. t. 2321. Taberncemont. Krauterh. edit. C. Bauhin. 

 les, Buch. p. 549, fig. 5 (Juncus sylvaticus). Fl. Dan. xi. t. 1922. 



In and along the sides of rivers, ditches and pools, both salt and fresh. Fl. 

 June — August. If. 



E. Med. — Marsh-ditches by the Dover, Eyde, pretty plentifully. Brading 

 marshes, plentiful. 



W. Med. — Ditches near Gurnet bay, where it is much smaller than at Eyde. 

 Abundant in marsh -meadow ditches between Yarmouth and Thorley, 1843. 

 Marsh-ditches at Easton, Freshwater gate, 1844. 



Root horizontal, creeping extensively, cylindrical, covered with reddish brown 

 sheathing scales, and emitting at intervals bundles of reddish fibres and white 

 scaly suckers. Leaves none, unless the basal sheaths be considered as such. 

 Culms soft, slender, erect, from about 2 to 4 feet in height, round throughout or 

 very obscurely ancipital above, smooth, scarcely striated, of a remarkably bluish, 

 grayish or glaucous green, except just above the etiolated basal part, where the 

 colour changes to bright green, filled up with loose cellular tissue, naked except- 

 ing at the base, which is whitish, and clothed with two or three long, pale, pointed 

 and scariose sheaths, that are mostly torn and filamentous at their edges, closely 

 ribbed or striate and reticulated transversely, the uppermost often terminating in 

 a long semiterete point, exactly similar to the lowermost bract, described below. 

 Panicle not much compounded, rather small, but variable in size, terminal, but 

 appearing to be lateral as emitted from the sheathing basis of the single lower- 

 most and involucral bract, which resembles a continuation of the culm itself, but 

 is seraicylindrical, and, from exposing the internal cellular structure, presents on 

 its flat side the appearance of having been split down the centre : this bract is 

 erect, rigid, acute, with a brownish or withered point, distinctly jointed on 

 the stem, whitish and ribbed at base, as long as or more commonly a little longer 

 than the panicle, or even occasionally considerably exceeding the latter. Spike- 

 lets ovate, acute, about 3 lines in length, solitary or clustered on the very unequal 

 simple or branched peduncles, which are compressed, subsemiterete and scabrous, 

 rarely if ever more than once compounded, clothed at bottom with loose, cylindri- 

 cal, ribbed, pointed or truncate sheaths, sprinkled like themselves with rust- 



* The Cat's-tail or Beed-mace (Typha, Linn.) is commonly, but erroneously, 

 called Bull-rush by many. 



4 a 



