line broad, contiguous, acute, the upper one stalked, the lower
sessile, separated from the upper fertile one by an interval
varying from 2 to 12 lines in length, with closely imbricate
scales, which are obtuse, ferruginous, whitish on the edges,
and generally becoming paler by age. Fertile spikes 3, rarely
2, obtuse, sometimes short, generally 7-12 lines long, 4-5 lines
broad, the upper one sessile, ovate or oblong, rarely barren
at top, the others cylindric, peduncled, and furnished with long
foliaceous bracts, the lowest more remote, subnutant; the scales
ovate, acute, about half the length of the perigone. Perigone
2-| lines long, rather more than a line in breadth, oblong-ovate,
beaked, bifurcate, shining, with 3 to 5 nerves, more or less
dark ferruginous in colour, pale at base, rarely straw-coloured.
Not immature in my specimens.
Discovered by Dr. Wight, July 30, 1832, in a wet spot
about half-way up the cliff, on the south side of Glen Phee,
Clova, Scotland, and for some years considered a form of
C. saxatilis, Linn. (C. pulla, Good.), until distinguished by
Mr. W. Wilson (1843): vid. Linn. Trahs. v. 19. p. 215. I
am informed by Mr. Borrer that Prof. Balfour still refers it to
C. saxatilis. Fries on the contrary considers it an alpine
form of C. vesicaria, Linn., and unites with it C. compacta, Br.
(C. metnbranacea, Hook., C. hymenocarpa, Drejer).
It differs from C. saxatilis, Linn., in its longer culm, proportionately
narrower leaves, which are shorter than the culm,
its more numerous, cylindric, ferruginous spikes, the lower of
which are conspicuously peduncled, the more inflated and
elongated, bifurcate, nerved perigone, which is twice the length
of the scales. From C. vesicaria it is distinguished by its 2
stigmata, &c. C. compacta, Br., has a more rigid habit, a
stouter culm, leaves sometimes involute, short, strictly erect
peduncles, compact approximate spikes, crowded, diverging,
stipitate perigones, which are scarcely longer than the scales,
short subfoliaceous bracts, and 3, rarely 2, stigmas. It is
closely allied to C. rotundata, Wahl.—F. B.
Fig. 1, fruit, with its small scale, and male scale, of C. Gra-
hami; fig. 2, fruit, large scale, and short spikes, of C. saxatilis.