on the Britifb Species of Carex. 185 
Spica mafcula terminalis, oblonga, fub-cylindrica, plus minufve 
uncialis, fquamis nigro-ferrugineis, oblongis, obtufis, nervo dorfali 
viridi, margine membranaceo albo. Spice fœmineæ fub-cylin- 
dricæ, unciales, fefcunciales, longius pedunculatz, primüm erecta, 
mox maturiores pendulæ, remotæ Ad bafin pedunculorum 
. braétea, vagina abbreviata, f. vix quartam partem pedunculi am- 
pleétente, utrinque bafi auriculata, auriculà fub-rotundà. Vagina ~ 
in folium definit culmo fepé longius. Squamz oblongæ, acute, 
capfulà paulo breviores. Cap/ula ovata, fub-triquetra, obtufiufcula, 
ore claufo, primum viridis, inde gradatim flaveícens, ferruginea, 
nigra, fub lente fab-tomentofa. Filamenta tria. Stylus ftigmatibus 
tribus, crafliuículis, villofis. 
Although no Carex can be faid to vary more in fize and habit 
than this, yet to an attentive operum there will be no difficulty 
og it. Its cylindrical pendulous black fpikes, its glau- 
cous Ses, (hort vaginz; UR capfules, fmooth culm, and 
creeping root, are obvious diftinctions. 
~ It feems ftrange that fo common a Carex as this is fhould have 
been fo little noticed by the old authors. I recolle& no old figure 
of it befide Morifons—that indeed charaéterifes it fufficiently. 
Leers’s figure is tolerable; he feems to have joined C. Zimofa his 
Var. a, and recurva his Var. @. in one—which is a confufion very 
unufual to his general confummate accuracy. 
I fhould almoft have apprehended that Mr. Lightfoot had intend- 
ed this plant by his C. cz/piio/a, Var. a. had he not exprefsly men- 
tioned that it had only two itigmata—whereas this invariably has 
' three, and protrudes them in a manner not eafy to be miftaken, 
being thicker, longer, and more villous than | in the generality of 
this family. 
Vor. II. Bb 33. CAREX 
