104 
are represented in “ English Botany”; the fruits also differ 
in not being abruptly narrowed or inflated, and the beak, 
instead of being short and straight, as in the Manchester 
plants, is somewhat long and slightly recurved. It is worth 
noticing, as bearing upon the specific distinctness of this 
plant, that M. Crepin, in his “Manuel de la Flore de Belgique,” 
mentions that it is remarkable in its shoots, putting forth 
every year new tufts of leaves and new stems, — which I 
understand to mean that fresh stems appeal 1 simultaneously 
with the new leaves, instead of the stems being produced 
from the tufts of the preceding season, as in most sedges. 
Mr. Sidebotham said that this group of plants was in 
considerable confusion, some botanists classing all together, 
and scarcely noticing the different forms even as varieties; 
others, both British and Continental, whilst distinguishing 
the forms, were by no means agreed as to the nomenclature. 
Mr. Sidebotham exhibited a large series of each of the 
plants from various localities, and gave it as his opinion 
that they were three distinct species, not difficult to sepa- 
rate, even in their extreme forms, and he extended to all 
three the remark of Professor Syme, in the new edition of 
“English Botany,” where he says, that although it might 
sometimes be difficult at first sight to distinguish the species, 
when a dried specimen only was seen, he had never found 
the least difficulty when the plants were growing. 
The following short characters were, he thought, quite 
sufficient to separate the species from each other. 
Carex Jlava. Fruit yellow, nuts large, beak very long, 
deflexed. 
Carex lepidocarpa. Fruit pale green or yellowish green, 
nuts smaller and beak shorter than in C. Jiava, beak straight. 
Carex OEderi. Fruit pale yellow, nuts very much smaller 
than preceding, and more globular, beak very much shorter, 
straight. 
Mr. Sidebotham had never gathered Carex flava in the 
Manchester district, although abundant in the north of Lan- 
cashire, and he reported Carex (Ederi as occurring abund- 
antly at Llandudno. 
