920 



base of its style. The following is Mr. Moore's description of the fruit 

 of this species, as contrasted with that of C. paradoxa, in the ' London 

 Jom-nal of Botany' for March, 1843, " Fruit plano-convex, between 

 deltoid and triangular, with a broad serrated margin extending from 

 the middle to the bidentate beak, broad and subcordate at the base, 

 stipitate, striated on both surfaces; striae scarcely extending down the 

 slender stipitate point of attachment." 



The above remarks on the variable nature 

 of the inflorescence of Carex paniculata, are 

 equally ajaplicable to that of C. paradoxa. 

 The specimens kindly sent me by Mr. Spruce 

 are truly panicled, the branches of the pani- 

 cle varying in length from a quarter of an 

 inch to about an inch and a half. A speci- 

 men from Westmeath, collected by Mr. D. 

 Moore, and kindly forwarded by Mr. W. 

 Wilson, has the branches of the panicle very 

 short, with its spikelets densely aggregated ; 

 and in other specimens from the Irish loca- 

 lity, also from Mr. D. Moore, in the posses- 

 sion of the Botanical Society of London, the 

 perigynium and nut of c. paradoxa. panicle is rcduccd to a compouud spike, with 



the spikelets sessile upon the common axis. 

 The panicle of this species, when in fruit, has a peculiarly neat ap- 

 pearance, reminding one of that of Juncus coenosus ; in its stem and 

 foliage it resembles Carex teretiuscula. Being intermediate between 

 C. paniculata and C. teretiuscula, as mentioned by Sir W. J. Hooker, 

 and nearly allied to both species, it is desirable to find some permanent 

 character whereby it may be distinguished from them ; this character 

 is here also admirably furnished by the fruit, which is perfectly iden- 

 tical in all the specimens above mentioned, agreeing, except in one 

 particular, with Mr. Moore's description quoted below from the 'Lon- 

 don Journal of Botany.' " Fruit ovate-subrotund, gibbous on the in- 

 ner face, with a long slender beak, slightly cloven, and edged with a 

 narrow serrulated margin,* base graduallyf lengthened out into a 



* The serrulated margin of tlie beak could not be shown in the figure, from the po- 

 sition of the perigynium, which is represented as lying on its side. 



f The base of the perigynium can scarcely be said to be gradually lengthened out 

 into the stipes. In this respect, as mentioned by Mr. Wilson, Schkuhr's figure is un- 

 satisfactory, since it represents the base of the perigynium as tapering down into the 

 stipes, instead of cordate, as it really is. 



