420 CYPERACEM. [AKEX. 



short turgid 3-gonous equalling the lanceolate thin pale glumes, Iwak 



membranous very long slender 2-fid. 



Damp woods, from Lanark and Moray southwards ; ascending to 2,000 ft. in 

 the Highlands ; fl. May- June. Rootstocic tufted, shortly creeping. Stem 

 1-3 ft., very slender, 3-quetrous, smooth. Leaves ^-\ in. broad, membranous, 

 bright green. Spikelets 1-1^ in., distant or contiguous ; male slender, jialu ; 

 females very slender, sometimes branched at the base ; bracts leafy, shtaths 

 long. Glumes lax or scattered, acuminate, membranous, with pale gi-een 

 back and keel ; of the males brownish, obtuse, mucronate or subacute. 

 Perigynia subsessile, elliptic, rather small, brown, straight, rather shorter 

 than the slightly compressed herbaceous smooth beak, angles ribbed, faces 

 quite smooth. Fruit broad, 3-quetrous. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Asia. 



53. C. strigo'sa, Huds. ; leaves flat broad, spikelets very slender 

 drooping, perigynia remote elliptic-lanceolate 3-gonous ribbed a little 

 longer than the oblong-lanceolate acute glumes, beak obscure obliquely 

 truncate smooth hyaline. 



Woods and copses, from York and Chester to Kent and Dorset, rare and local 

 in Ireland ; fl. May-June. Rootstock tufted, creeping. . Stems 1-2 ft., 

 smooth, 3-gonous, leafy. Leaves J- in. broad, usually short, pale green, 

 flaccid ; sheaths with 2 auricles opposite the blade. Male spikelet 1, ^-2 in., 

 slender, pale ; females 1^-3 in. , lowest long-pedicelled, often flexuous ; rachis 

 evident between the glumes, many-flowered ; bracts leafy, usually shorter 

 than the stem, sheaths long. Glumes small, membranous, white, base 

 enveloping the perigynia, centre pale green. Periyynia fa in., membranous, 

 green, slightly decurved, narrowed at both ends. Fruit narrow-elliptic, 

 3-gonous, pale. DISTRIB. Europe from Denmark southwards, excl. Spain 

 Greece and Turkey, W. Asia, N. Africa. Allied to C. sylvatica. 



f"H"t" Perigynia glatrrous. Male spikelets several (rarely one in 54 vesicaria) ; 

 female stout, usually curved or drooping. Bracts leafy, s/teat/t 0. 



54. C. vesica'ria, L. ; stout, leaves flat, spikelets cylindric, perigynia 

 large spreading conic-ovoid inflated ribbed pale exceeding the lanceolate 

 snbacute scarious-tipped glumes, beak stout 2-cuspidate smooth. 



Bogs and marshes, from Isla and Moray southwards; fl. May-June. 

 Jio"'- .Hid creeping. Stem 1-2 ft., stout, scabrid, 3-quetrous. 



jLzyJjpg; i^ in. broad, soft, sheath-edges filamentous. Spikelets many, 

 stouMpttra 1-3, 1 J-2J in., slender, pale brown, sometimes female at the 

 top ; jev^ale 1-3 in., shortly pedicelled, inclined or drooping, cylindric, \ in. 

 diam. when ripe ; bracts overtopping the stem, sheath 0. Glumes much 

 smaller than the pajig^pia, narrow, chesnut-brown, midrib pale, tip obtuse ; 

 of the males linear-oblong. Perigynia nearly ^ in., obscurely 3-gonous, 

 nerves faint, dull yellow, shining; beak rigid, brown, pungent. FnM 

 broadly elliptic, 3-gonous, pale, beak long. DlSTBlB. Europe (Arctic), N. 

 Africa, N. Asia, W. Asia to iN.W. India, Greenland.- Babington gives a 

 var. (C. involuta, Bab.) which is intermediate between this and C. ampullacea, 

 with involute leaves, found in Lancashire and Cheshire. 



Sub-sp. VESICA'RIA proper; stem 1-2 ft., male spikelets 2-3, female large 1- 

 2J in. stout cylindric pale, perigynia elongate ribbed with a slender rigid 

 2-cuspidatc beak, stigmas 3. VAR. Gra'hami, Boott (sp.); perigynia brown 

 le=s strongly nerved, beak shorter less strongly cuspidate more slender, 

 stigmas 2. Highlands, rare. 



