Caricography. 253 



By some botanists, Kobresia is considered different from Carex, 

 while by others the several species are united under the latter. 

 The two genera have been thus united by Sprengel in the sixteenth 

 edition of the Systema Vegetabilium of Linne, Vol. iii, 1826. 

 There seems to be reason for separating them, and the more so, as 

 two new species have been found in the Arctic regions of America 

 among the species of Carex. These two species are here described. 



1. Kobresia filiformis, Torrey. 



Tab. Z. fig. 85. 



. Spicaunica simplici tereti superne staminifera ; squamis lanceolatis 



hyalinis fructum tristigmaticum ovatum rostratum laevem laxum su- 



perantibus ; culmo nudo subscabro, foliis radicalibus setaceo-filiform- 



ibus longis. 



Culm a foot high, stiff, erect, with linear and bristle-form leaves 

 rising from the base and often equalling the culm ; spike simple, 

 sparsely flowered, and kvj flowered at the base ; stigmas three ; 

 staminate scale oblong lanceolate ; fruit ovate, lanceolate, smooth, 

 with a lanceolate and transparent or membranaceous scale. 

 Found on the Rocky Mountains. 



2. K. globularis, D. 

 Tab. Z. fig. 86. 

 Spica unica simplici, superne staminifera attenuala densifloraque, 

 inferne rariflora ; fructibus tristigmaticis sub-globosis alternis ore ob- 

 liquis subrostratis, squama ovata obtusa hyalina paulo longioribus. 



Culm near a foot high, erect, stiff, slender, smooth with radical 

 filiform leaves a little shorter than the culm ; spike one, an inch 

 long, staminate above and densely flowered and attenuated ; stami- 

 nate scales oblong and obovate, obtuse, and hyaline ; fruit sub-glo- 

 bose, smooth, alternate, few and rare, subrostrate, oblique at the 

 mouth, nearly inclosed in the two scales, which are ovate and obtuse, 

 shorter than the fruit, white and silvery hyaline. 



Found at Carlton House by Dr. Richardson. It is a beautiful 

 species : the silvery scales give the spikes a woolly appearance at a 

 little distance, although they are not in the least vellose. 

 Figures of these two species accompany this paper. 



KobreshJiKformis, Torrey. Tab. Z. fig. 85. 

 globularis, D. " " " 86. 



