464 CYPERACEJE. [Carex. 



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



truncate smooth hyaline. 



Woods and copses, from York and Chester to Kent and Somerset ; local in 

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

 3-gonous, leafy. Leaves £-| in. broad, usually short, pale green, flaccid ; 

 sheaths auricled opposite the blade. Male spikelet 1, §-2 in., slender, pale ; 

 female l§-3 in., lowest long-pedicelled, often flexuous; rachis exposed 

 between the glumes, many-fld. ; bracts leafy, usually shorter than the 

 stems, sheaths long. Glumes small, membranous, white, base enveloping 

 the perigynia, centre pale green. Perigynia \ in., membranous, green, 

 slightly decurved, narrowed at both ends. Nut narrow-elliptic, 3-gonous, 

 pale.— Distrib. N. and Mid. Europe, Italy, W. Asia, N. Africa. 



tttt Perigynia glabrous. Male spikelets* several (rarely one in 56, vesicaria) ; 

 female stout, usually curved and drooping. Bracts leafy, sheaths 0. 



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

 large spreading conic-ovoid inflated ribbed pale exceeding the lanceolate 

 subacute scarious-tipped glumes, beak stouc 2-cuspidate smooth. 

 Bogs and marshes, from Inverness and Perth southd. ; Ireland ; fl. May- June. 

 — Rootstock tufted and creeping. Stems 1-2 ft., scabrid, 3-quetrous. Leaves 

 long, J-£ in. broad, soft, sheath-edges filamentous. Spikelets many, stout ; 

 male 1-3, 1|-2| in., slender, pale brown, sometimes female at the top; 

 female 1-3 in., shortly pedicelled, inclined or drooping, \ iu. diam. when 

 ripe ; bracts overtopping the stem, sheath 0. Glumes much smaller than 

 the perigynia, narrow, chestnut-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. Nut broadly elliptic, 

 3-gonous, pale, beak long. — Distrir. Europe (Arctic), N. Africa, N. and W. 

 Asia, N.W. India, Greenland. 

 C. vesica'ria proper ; stems 1-2 ft., male spikelets 2-3, female large 1-2J in. 

 stout cylindric pale, perigynia elongate ribbed with a slender rigid 2-cuspi- 

 date beak, stigmas 3. — Var. C. involu'ta, Bab., with margins of leaves in- 

 volute, apiculate glumes and narrower perigynia, is intermediate between 

 this and C. ampulla'cea. — Hale Moss, Manchester. 

 Sub-sp. 0. Graha'mi, Boott ; perigynia brown less strongly nerved, beak 

 shorter less strongly cuspidate more slender, stigmas 2. — Lofty nits. Perth, 

 Forfar. 

 Sub-sp. 0. saxattlis, L. ; stems 4-10 in., male spikelet 1 rarely 2, female 

 small J-J in. ovoid very dark, perigynia ovoid ribs faint or with a short 

 notched or 2-fid beak, stigmas usually 2. G. pul'la, Good., C. vesica'ria 

 var. alpig'ena, Fries. — Scotch alps from Ben* Lomond northd., alt. 2,500 to 

 3,300 ft.— Distrib. Scandinavia, N. Russia, N. America. —This and C. 

 dichroa, Anderss., are alpine forms of C. vesica'ria, to which var. Graha'mi 

 forms a passage. I accept Boott's authority for its being the true saxat'- 

 ilis of Linnaeus, from the testimony of his Herb., and of his pupil Solander 

 (in Herb. Banks). The Swedish authorities, however, refer saxatilis to 

 rig'ida. 



57. C. ampulla'cea, Good. ; stout, leaves glaucous, margins involute , fe- 

 male spikelets stout cylindric pale, perigynia spreading ovoid inflated ribbed 



