that three localities have been examined and a large amount of material has been picked 

 over. The comparative scarcity of this genus may be connected, as already suggested, 

 with the occupation of the riversbanks by a dense growth of Dulichium, which lives 

 under similar conditions. Unfortunately also the boiling and somewhat rough usage 

 that is necessary to disintegrate the material, when large amounts have to be examined, 

 tends to damage the utricles of the more delicate species, and to break off their fragile 

 beaks. It is thus difficult to determine these fossils with certainty, especially as none of 

 the species in this genus seems satisfactorily to match the recent forms. 



We have therefore figured the fruits ; but have only ventured to describe as new 

 one species, which happens to be the largest, most abundant, and perhaps most charac* 

 teristic of them all. As this species occurs plentifully at all three Reuverian localities, 

 and is unknown either in the Teglian or Cromerian, or living, it may be a useful zone? 

 fossil for correlation with other parts of Europe. 



CAREX FLAGELLATA Sp. nov. 



PI. Ill, figs. 22-26. 



Fructus maximus; utriculus rigidus, inflatus, haud rostratus; nux grandis, 

 triquetra, elongato^ovoidea, basi in annulum incrassatum expansa ; stylus longus, 

 flagelliformis, semper replicatus. 



Fruit very large; utricle stiff loose baggy, ovate wider below constricted suddenly 

 above (not beaked), with about 22 regular thread-like prominent striae. Length 5.0 mm., 

 breadth 3.0 mm. Nut triquetrous elongate*ovate, base narrowing and then expanded 

 suddenly into a thickened ring and broad attachment; style long and whip-like, always 

 recurved or doubled back on itself, as long as the nut; surface covered with deep 

 hexagonal pits which give a rough appearance under low magnification. 



Length of nut 3.3 mm., breadth 1.3 mm.; length of style about 3.0 mm. 



SwALMEN, REUVER, BrUNSSUM. 



The short baggy utricle compels the style to become doubled back as the nut 

 develops, for the utricle is only sufficiently long for the nut. This is not an abnormality, 

 but is characteristic of the species, for al the nuts in which the style is preserved show 

 this sharp curve into a hook. It may be a useful modification for anchoring or trans* 

 porting the fruit, which has become a bur such as can readily hold fast until the stiff 

 hook breaks. This peculiarity, and the wide expanded base of the nut make the species 

 very unlike any with which we have been able to compare it at Kew. It seems to be 

 related to C. Dickensii of Japan; but that species has the very long whiplike style 

 enclosed in a long narrow beak, which however is not long enough for the style, and 

 causes the latter to become bent and wavy, but not recurved. C. rosttata has a similar 

 whiplike wavy style; but in other respects does not resemble our fossil; its nut is much 

 smaller. Cavex flagellata was probably a riverside sedge, for it is very abundant. 



69 



