104 MONOECIA— TIIIANDRIA. Carex. 



C. alpina, foliis caryophylleis, caule concinne triquetro, capitulis 

 compactis, pulchellis, atris et tumentibus, spicamque veluti 

 componentibus, ac aliquibus pediculis insidentibus. Mich. 

 Gen. 69. 



Cyperoides alpinum pulchrum, foliis caryophyllaeisj spicis atris et 

 tumentibus. Scheuchz. Agr. 481. t. 1 1./. 1, 2. 



In alpine pastures, and on rocks. 



On rocks in Breadalbane. Mr. G. Don. On the Welsh mountains, 

 especially about Llanberris. Hudson. 



Perennial. June, July. 



Root tufted, or slightly creeping, with stout perpendicular fibres. 

 Stem 12 or 15 inches high, erect, triangular, nearly or quite 

 smooth 3 leafy at the bottom only. Leaves shorter than the stem, 

 upright, broad, rough-edged, striated, grass-green j sheathing 

 at the base, with a long abrupt stipula. Bracteas leafy, with 

 hardly any sheaths, but rather a pair of small rounded auricles 

 occasionally. Catkins generally four, stalked, uniform, ovate, 

 turgid, black, soon drooping or pendulous, many- flowered j the 

 3 lowermost fertile, with stamens here and there, but rarely, in 

 some Jloiets with pistils ; the terminal one, in its lower half, 

 consisting of barren florets. Scales of all ovate, acute, cf a 

 rusty black, with a narrow, green midrib. Stam. often but 2, 

 not uncommonly 3. Stigm. 3. Fruit elliptical, triangular, com- 

 pressed, smooth, pale or yellowish, with a short, dark-brown, 

 notched, or slightly cloven, beak. 



Other species, as C. pulla and ustulata, appear to have been con- 

 founded with this by many continental, as well as British, 

 botanists ; and the real atrata, larger than any of them, has 

 been arranged with the widely dissimilar tribe of our second 

 section, in spite of its 3 stigmas ; because of the inferior barren 

 Jlorets in one of the catkins. That mark indeed keeps it separate 

 from all that resemble it ; and if always attended to, would have 

 prevented many mistakes. Dr. Swartz mistook C. atrata for 

 saxatilis; Linnaeus appears to have described the true plant in 

 his Fl. Lapponica, along with our ustulata, which last only he 

 preserved, attaching pulla to it as a variety. 



36, C pui/a. Russet Carex. 



Sheaths none. Fertile catkins ovate; the lower one 

 stalked. Fruit elliptical, slightly inflated, with a short 

 notched beak. Stigmas two. 



C. pulla. Gooden. Tr. n/L.Soc.v. 3. 78. t. 14. H.Br. 988. Engl. 



Bot. V. 29. t. 2045, Hook. Scot. 2C8. Don H. Br. 190. Willd. 



Sp. PI. V. 4. 274. Schk. Car. 65. t. R./. 63 ; copied. 

 C. fusca. Schk. Car. 64. C, cf. 88. 

 On the Highland mountains of Scotland ; Mr. Dickson. J/um. 



Trans. 



