on the Britifb Species of Carex. 149 
triqueter, angulis acutis, afperiufculis. Spica androgyna compofita, 
fpiculis fubfenis approximatis alternis fub-ovalibus. Ad bafin fpi- 
culz inferioris bractea bafi ovata in fetam ípicule fuz longitudine 
definens, ad ceteras bractea oblonga eft & aphylla. Fres infe- 
riores mafculi pauciores, cæteri plures foeminei. Sguamæ ovato- 
lanceolatz, acute, capfulam æquantes, fufcæ, margine albo, nervo 
dorfali viridi. Cap/u/e oblongæ acuminatæ, hinc plana, illinc con- 
vexiufculæ, ereétæ, ore integro. Filamenta ut in cæteris—Stylus ftig- 
matibus duobus. 
It has been lately difcovered, that we have all along been mif- 
taken in this very common plant. The error perhaps reíts with 
Linneus himfelf, who joined the plant, he originally named /eporiza, 
with this we are now treating of. The miftake took place even 
fo early as the publication of 77. lapponica, as appears from his quot- 
ing Moerz/ows figures. The original /eporina, now prelerved in Dr. 
Smiths (the Linnean) herbarium bas only three ipikelets, is a 
plant much fmaller, and differs in many refpeéts. 
C. ovalis is diftinguifhable in all its flages from others by the 
number of the fpiculz, the acutenefs of the fquamze, and the fitua- 
tion of the male and female flowers. In this the male flowers are 
at the bafe of the fpikes, and few in number; the female ones nu- 
merous, and terminal. 
- 
Leers defcribes his /eporima as having the terminal florets male, 
and the inferior female. Although therefore his figure is a very 
exact reprefentation in other particulars, the fituation of the male 
and female flowers muft not be taken from his defcription. 
aen 
"or 
7. CAREX 
