70 Caricography. 



34. C.pellita. Muh. 



Muh. Ph. Katon, Pers. No. 189. 

 Schk, tab. Nnn fig. 149 and 150. 

 C. striata, Mx. 



Spicis slaminiferis et fructiferis distinctis ; spicis stami- 

 niferis binis oblongis inferiore sessili et bracteata*, spicis 

 fructiferis tristigmaticis b'nis vel ternis cylindraceis erectis 5 

 fructibus ovatis breve rostra tis bicuspidatis subtriquetris 

 pilosis, squama ovato-lanceolata aristata subasqualibus. 

 „ Culm 18 — 24 inches high, triangular and scabrous 

 above, nearly round below, leafy ; leaves linear-lanceo- 

 late, nearly^aY, scabrous on their edges, striate ; sheaths 

 striate, with a concave stipule ; staminate spikes about 2, 

 or 2 — 4 according to Muh., cylindric, highest pedunculate, 

 others sessile and shorter, with an ovate or oblong rather 

 obtuse scale and dark brown on the edge and light colour- 

 ed on the keel ; stigmas three ; pistillate spikes 2 — 3, ob- 

 long, cylindric, erect, long or short, the highest often ses- 

 sile, the lowest sometimes long-pedunculate ; bracts long, 

 leafy, scabrous on their edges, surpassing the culm, with 

 short sheaths ; fruit ovate, striate, partially 3-sided, little 

 ventricose, densely pubescent, acuminated into a short 

 bicuspidate beak ; pistillate scale lanceolate or ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, awned, dark coloured on the edge and light co- 

 loured on the keel, nerved and glabrous, sometimes longer 

 or shorter than the fruit ; plant, except the spikes, gla^ 

 brous and green. 



Flowers in May — grows on the wet alluvial of the Hud- 

 son opposite Troy — in a marshy upland meadow just east 

 of Poughkeepsie — rather rare. 



There can be little doubt that this species is the C. stri- 

 ata, Mx., or that C. lanuginosa Mx. is the C. filiformis, 

 Goodn., which has been so often mistaken for C. pellita. 

 Q. jiliformis however has involute leaves, and a different 

 scale, and is altogether a more rigid plant in its appearance. 

 C pellita cannot be mistaken for C. trichocarpa, as the 

 fruit of the latter is more remote and much inflated at the 

 base, as well as of a different shape. 



There are two varieties of C pellita, both of which are 

 figured by Schk., and Muh. has remarked some other va- 

 rieties in the spikes. I have rarely seen a specimen with 



