MONOECIA TRIANDRIA. 563 



The flalk varies from a foot to two feet high : the 

 leaves are i-gth of an inch wide : the male fpike 

 is commonly fingle, narrow and linear, of a 

 greenifh-yellow colour, from half an inch to one 

 and a half long: the fcales oval-acute and yel- 

 lowifh, with a green nerve : the female fpikes 

 are three, or more, frequently four, from one to 

 tvro inches long, narrow and linear, either green 

 or of a yellowifh green colour, ereft atfirfl:, but 

 afterwards pendent, fuported on fine flender pe- 

 duncles, the lowermofl of which are longer than 

 the fpikes they fupport : the uppermoft of the 

 female fpikes arifes from the ala of the fame ha^fea 

 as the male fpike, but is not fo tall as that : the 

 floral leaves are not higher than the flalk, fel- 

 dom fo high : the capfules are triangular and 

 greenifh, with an acute roftrum, and ilightly bi- 

 fid point: they are alternate, and thinly fet, 

 which is a ftrong charac^ner of the fpecies : the 

 fcales are oval- acute, of a greenilli yellow co- 

 lour, and fometimes white, with a green carina : 

 the Jli^mata are three in number, and of a red 

 colour. 

 Linn^us informs us, that the L^/./.«^.r. comb and 

 drefs this fpecies of Carex as we do flax and m 

 the winter feafon fluff their (hoes and gloves 

 with it, as a defence againfl the extreme rigour 

 of the climate. They apply fome other fpecies 

 to the fame purpofe, but this feems to have the 

 preference in common ufe» 



Oo 2 CAREX 



