Caricography. 61) 



This plant is very different from any species in Schk., 

 and was named after that distinguished examiner of the 

 genus to which it belongs, the Rev. L. D. de Schweinitz, 

 by whom it was announced in his "Analytical Table of 

 Carices" in the Annals of the Lyceum of New- York, Vol. I. 



33. C. pyriformis. Schvr. 



Spicis staminiferis et fructiferis distinctis ; spica stam- 

 inifera solitaria abbreviata pedunculata ebracteata ; spicis 

 fructiferis ternis distigmaticis oblongis laxifloris subpendu- 

 lis exserte pedunculatis sub-approximatisbracteatis ; fruc- 

 tibus obovatis vel pyriformibus obtusis nervosis sub-ven- 

 tricosis ore integris, squama ovata acuta vel breve mucro- 

 nata longioribus. 



Culm about 6 inches high, triangular, somewhat pro- 

 cumbent, scabrous above, leafy; leaves subradical, narrow, 

 striate, with striate sheathes and concave stipules ; stami- 

 nate spike single, short and pedunculate, with a tawney, 

 oblong, obtuse scale ; stigmas two ; pistillate spikes three, 

 oblong, loose-flowered, upper one nearly sessile, two high- 

 est rather near, the lowest rather remote and often long and 

 exsertly pedunculate;bracts leafy, much surpassing the culm, 

 with short sheaths and shorter than the peduncles ; fruit obo- 

 vate or pear-shaped, sometimes nearly spheroidal, ventri- 

 cose, obtuse, nerved, sometimes with a very short beak or 

 projection, glaucous when young, yellowish when mature ; 

 pistillate scale rather various, ovate and acutish, some- 

 times ovate-obtuse and shortly mucronate, reddish brown, 

 white on the border and greenish white on the keel, from 

 half to nearly the length of the fruit ; plant small, suberect, 

 and partially glaucous. 



Flowers in May — June — grows in cold wet soil — not 

 uncommon in Berkshire Co. — plenty near the College. 



To the specimens forwarded to M. Schweinitz, he gave 

 the above specific name from the common form of ihe 

 fruit. This species seems to be nearly related to C. aurea, 

 Nutt. ; but differs in having only two stigmas, and in the 

 common form of the fruit. It seems too to resemble some 

 varieties of C. tetanica, but does not agree with the dej 

 scription of that species. 



