Caricography. 39 
Having received specimens from Mr. Schweinitz and ex- 
amined his large collection of Carices, as well as this plant at 
Niagara Falls, it is certain that C. irregularts, Schw. is the 
C. Oederi of Europe. 
Botanists are not agreed in considering this plant as a dis- 
tinct species from «'. fluva. But, as it is in Europe and our 
country a much smaller plant, grows in different situations, 
has its spikes and fruit considerably different, and appears so 
different to the eye, | have followed Ehrhart and others in 
considering it a distinct species. Our plant agrees exactly 
with specimens from the north of Europe. 
56. C. Buxbaumii. Wahl. 
Muh., Pursh, Eaton, Schw., Ell., Agardh. 
Pers. no. 96, Wahl. no. 129. Rees’ Cyc. no. 77. 
Schk. tab. X and Gg fig. 76. 
C. polygama. Schk. 
Spicis distinctis vel androgynis subquaternis spica su- 
prema staminifera sepe androgyna pedunculata clavata su- 
perne fructifera, ceteris fructiferis oblongis subremotis sessili- 
bus bracteatis distigmaticis et tristigmaticis ; fructibus ovato- 
oblongis et obovatis obtusis subtriquetris nervosis ore subin- 
tegro glabris, squame oblonge mucronata subequalibus. 
Culm 1—2 feet high, slender, leafy towards the base, 
subscabrous above; leaves linear-lanceolate, long, rough, 
on the edge; bracts linear, rough, shorter than the culm; 
spikes 3—5, sometimes are wholly staminate, pedunculate, 
erect, sometimes the upper spike is staminate below, or 
above, or both, clubform, the ethers oblong. sessile and 
bracteate;  staminate seale linear-lanceolate, mucronate, 
dark brown ; pistillate scale cblong, mucronate, nearly 
black, with a green keel; stigmas two and three; fruit 
oval-oblong, glabrous, somewhat compressed, obtuse, nearly 
entire at the orifice, often a little shorter than tbe oblong mu- 
cronate scale. 
Flowers in June and July —grows in marshy places. Penn., 
Muh. Carolinas, Schw. 
In our country this species seems generally to want the 
staminate spike, and to have the upper spike staminate below 
like C. hirsuta, &c. to which it is closely related. It occurs, 
however, as in Europe, under both varieties of the spikes. 
Wahlenburg calls it pseado-androgynous. Sees 
