Eriophorum.] LXXXVIII. CYPEBACE^. 487 



to each flower, forming at length very dense cottony tufts, nearly 

 globular, about an inch in diameter. 



In bogs and wet moors, in northern and central Europe, northern 

 Asia, and Morth America, and in the mountains of southern Europe. 

 Extends all over Britain. Fl. summer. 



3. E. polystachion, Linn. (fig. 1109). Common C. — Rootstock 

 creeping. Leaves few, mostly radical, much shorter than the stem, 

 more or less triangular, or channelled at the top or all the way along, 

 those on the stem often very short. Stems about a foot high, with a 

 terminal umbel of 2 or 3 to 8 or 10 or even more spikelets ; the inner 

 ones sessile, the outer ones more or less stalked and often drooping ; 

 the 1 to 3 outer bracts more or less leafy. Each spikelet ovoid or 

 oblong, 5 or 6 lines long ; the glumes thin, of an olive-green, with 

 scarious edges, or sometimes altogether brown. Hypogynous bristles 

 very numerous, forming dense cottony tufts, often attaining 1 to 1J 

 inches in length. 



In bogs and wet moors, the commonest species in Europe, Russian 

 Asia, and North America. Frequent in Britain. FL summer. It is 

 usually divided into 3 species, E. latifolium, Hoppe, with leaves flattened 

 the greater part of their length ; E. gracile, Koch., with very slender 

 leaves, and few, almost erect spikelets ; and E. angustifolium, Roth., 

 with intermediate leaves and more numerous spikelets. Other char- 

 acters, derived from the smoothness or roughness of the peduncles, or 

 from the length of the cottony bristles, do not appear to be near so 

 constant as has been supposed. [The usual limitation of these forms 

 is as follows : E. polystachion proper. Rootstock long, stems not tufted, 

 solid, leaves channelled, glumes ovate, nut mucronate. E. latifolium, 

 Hoppe. Rootstock short, stems tufted, slender, 3-gonous, hollow, 

 leaves flat, glumes lanceolate, nut mucronate. E. gracile, Koch. Stem 

 very slender 3-gonous, leaves short, very narrow 3-gonous, glumes 

 broad obtuse, nut very narrow obtuse. Very rare ; and found only on 

 the banks of the Blackwater river in Surrey.] 



VIII. KOBRESIA. KOBRESIA. 



Perennial herbs, with grass-like leaves, radical or sheathing the stems 

 at the base. Spikelets sessile in a terminal spike, simple or rarely 

 branched at the base, with a glume-like bract under each spikelet. In 

 each spikelet the lowest glume encloses an ovary with a long trifid 

 style, the next one or rarely two glumes enclose 3 stamens, and there 

 is often a small rudimentary glume or awn terminating the axis. Some 

 spikelets have only one glume enclosing an ovary, and some, near the 

 end of the spike, have only one glume with 3 stamens. 



Besides the British species the genus comprises one or two from the 

 continent of Europe. 



1. K. earicina, Willd. (fig. 1110). Kohrcsia. — A low, carex-like 

 plant, forming dense tufts seldom above 6 inches high ; the leaves 

 radical or sheathing the stems at the base, spreading, and much 

 shorter than the stem. Spikelets 4 or 5, short and brown, closely 

 sessile in a short terminal spike. In each spikelet the lower flowers 

 are female, consisting within the glume of an ovary with a 3-cleft 

 style. The upper terminal spikelets of the spike, and usually one 



