498 THE SEDGE FAMILY. [Carex. 



The male spikelet is larger, and the glumes more obtuse, but with a 

 distinct fine point. Fruits rather small, shortly beaked, covered with 

 a minute down. 



In dry pastures, and heaths, common in Europe and Russian Asia, 

 except the extreme north, and naturalised in North America. Generally 

 distributed over Britain. Ft. spring. 



27. C. montana, Linn. (fig. 1137). Mountain C. Very near 0. 

 pilulifera, but the bracts have scarcely any leafy points ; the female 

 spikelets are shorter, with much darker glumes ; and the fruits are 

 twice as long, with acute angles, and are rather hairy than downy. 



In pastures and heaths with C. prcecox, in central and southern 

 Europe and western Asia, and extending northward into Scandinavia. 

 In Britain, found in a few western and southern counties. FL spring. 



28. C. pilulifera, Linn. (fig. 1138). Pill-headed C. Stems 6 inches 

 to a foot high, forming broad and sometimes loose tufts, but scarcely 

 creeping at the base. Leaves shorter than the stem, weak and flexible. 

 Female spikelets 2 or 3, short and compact, close under the terminal 

 male one. Bracts leafy, usually short, without sheaths. Glumes 

 brown, more or less pointed. Styles 3-cleft. Fruits small, obovoid, 

 or nearly globular, scarcely beaked, covered with a minute down. 



In hilly pastures, and moors, generally distributed over Europe, and 

 the same, or a closely allied species, across Russian Asia and in. North 

 America. Common in Britain. Fl. early summer. 



29. C. tomentosa, Linn. (fig. 1139). Downy C. Rootstock creeping. 

 Stems erect, slender, a foot high or more. Leaves narrow, erect, much 

 shorter than the stem. Terminal male spikelet about an inch long ; 

 females 1 or 2, at some distance from it, oblong, erect, and nearly 

 sessile, rather more than ^ inch long, compact, with small brown 

 glumes. Lower bracts leafy, without any sheath. Styles 3-cleft. 

 Fruits small, ovoid, or nearly globular, not beaked, downy. 



In moist meadows, in central and southern Europe, extending eastward 

 to the Caucasus, and northward to the Baltic. In Britain, only known 

 from a single locality near Merston in Wiltshire. Fl. early summer. 



30. C. filiformis, Linn. (fig. 1140). Slender (I The habit is near 

 that of C. distans, or of C. extensa, but it differs in its downy fruits. 

 Rootstock creeping. Stems 1 to 2 feet high, with long, narrow leaves ; 

 the leafy bracts are also long and narrow, almost as in C. extensa, but 

 without or almost without sheaths. Male spikelets usually 2 or even 3, 

 the terminal one often 1 inches long ; females 1 or 2, remote from 

 them, nearly sessile, 6 to 9 lines long. Styles 3-cleft. Fruit near 2. 

 lines long, ovoid, shortly beaked, and very downy. 



In wet ditches, and marshes, in northern and central Europe, and 

 Russian Asia, from the Arctic regions to central France and the Alps, 

 and in North America. Not common in Britain, occurring chiefly in 

 Scotland, northern England and Ireland. Fl. spring. 



31. C. hirta, Linn. (fig. 1141). Hairy C. Rootstock creeping. 

 Stems weak, leafy, 1 to 2 feet high, and, as well as the leaves, more or 

 less hairy. Lower bracts long and leafy, with long sheaths. Terminal 

 male spikes 1 or 2. Females very distinct, cylindrical, rather loose, an 

 inch long or more, much like those of 0. sylvatica, and the fruits, as in 

 that species, taper into a long beak, but they are also covered with short 

 spreading hairs. 



