[ 3 " 1
ERIOPHORUM alpinum.
Alpine Cotton-grafs.
S 0)
T R I A N D R IA Monogytiia.
G en. C har. Glumes chaffy, imbricated on all (ides.
Cor. none. Seed x, inverted with very long hairs.
Spec. C h ar. Stem naked, angular. Spike folitary,
eredt, (horter than the hair of the feeds.
S yn. Eriophorum alpinum. Linn. Sp. PI. 77. Flo.
Lapp. Ed. 2. 20. Lranf. of Linn. Soc. V. 2. 290 &
356. FI. Dan. t. 620. Dickf. Hort. Sicc. Fafc. 8.3.
Juncus alpinus bombycinus. Scheucbz. Prod. 27.
A 8 . / . 1. ___________
F I R S T d ifco v e red in B r ita in b y M r . B r o w n and M r . G e o r g e
D o n , in a tu r fy b o g 3 m ile s e a f t o f F o r fa r , in th e (hire o f
A n g u s , S c o t la n d .
We are obliged for wild fpecimens to Mr. John Mackay of
Edinburgh, a mod diligent and Ikilful inveftigator of the vegetable
kingdom, by whofe communications we have often
been enriched. It grows in alpine fituations, flowering about
July, and has hitherto been announced as a native of our ifland,
in the 2d volume of the Linn. Society’s Tranfa&ions only.
Root perennial, creeping horizontally among bog-earth and
fand, with many fibrous radicles. Leaves few, linear, rough
on the edges, obtufe, flieathing at their bafe, eredl, fometimes
3 or 4 together on a barren branch. Stems feveral, ere£l, much
taller than the leaves, clofe together, with 3 and fometimes 4
rough angles, ftriated, their bafe enveloped in one or more
lhort flieathing leaves, and a few tubular, membranous, bluntly
acuminated fcales, feeming like the rudiments of leaves. Spike
folitary, terminal, ereft, oval, fmall, of feveral ovate, yellow-
ifh brown, fliarply keeled fcales, the lowermoft tipped with a
leafy point. Seed fliarply triangular, clothed with long, not
very numerous, hairs, which originate from its bafe, and rife
much above the top of the ftyle. Their extreme whitenefs
and their delicate texture give an elegant appearance to the
plant, though it boafts none of thofe gaudy colours requifite
to excite the attention of many, who really fancy themfelves
perfons of tafte and admirers of Nature, but who are as inadequate
judges of their own talents, as of the univerfal elegance
and wifdom of the creation around them.