MONOECIA— TRIANDRIA. Carex. 103 



On Ben Lawers. Mr. J. Mackay. 1793. Mr. G. Don claims the 

 original discovery of tiiis plant on Ben Lomond in 1 789 j see 

 his Herb. Brit. 



Perennial. Jultj. 



Root creeping, with stout fibres. Stem nearly upright, about a 

 span high, triangular, striated, the angles roughish near the top 

 only. Leaves from the lower part of the stem, nearly as tall, 

 broadish, rough-edged, striated. Bractea like them, but smaller, 

 auricled at the base, not sheathing. Fertile catkins 2, mostly 

 very unequal ; the lower one largest, on a long rough stalk, 

 from the base of the bractea, ovate, dense, many-flowered, nearly 

 upright ; its scales bluntish, of a rusty black ; barren one erect, 

 lanceolate, with dark obtuse scales. Stam. 3. Siigm. but 2, by 

 which this species essentially differs from the rest of the alpine 

 ones with black ovate catkins, and accords with many more 

 common kinds, hereafter described. Fruit spreading, longer 

 than the scales, elliptical, rather compressed, or slightly inflated, 

 smooth, without angles or ribs, of a brownish black ; pale at 

 the base ; beak short, notched. 



Schkuhr's /. 63 is copied from the Linnsean Transactions, where 

 the middle catkin, though present in the original specimen now 

 in my possession, and in all I have seen, is strangely omitted. 

 Hence his/. 88 is more correct, and truly excellent. ^^ 



37. Q,. pallescens. Pale Carex. 



Sheaths very short. Fertile catkins cylindrical, stalked ; 

 at length pendulous. Fruit obovate, triangular, inflated, 

 smooth, obtuse, with a minute abrupt beak. 



C. pallescens. Unn. Sp. PI. 1386. fVilld. v. 4. 29 1 . Fl. Br. 989. 

 Engl.Bot. V. 31. t. 2185. Hook. Lond. t. 178. Scot.266. Dicks. 

 H. Sicc.fasc. 4. 16. Fl. Dan. t. 1050. Leers 203. t. 15. /. 4. 

 Schk. Car. 108. t. K,k./. 99. Rel. Rudb. 2./. 33. Ehrh. Phy- 

 toph. 68. 



C. n. 1393. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 195. 



Gramen cyperoides polystachyon flavicans, spicis brevibus, prope 

 summitatem caulis. Raii Syn.4\9. Pluk. Almag. 178. Phyt. 

 t. 34./. 5. Mich. Gen.Ql. t.32.f. 13. 



In meadows, pastures, and moist shady places, frequent. 



Perennial. May, June. 



Root tufted, fibrous. Herbage pale green. Stems erect, straight, 

 12 to 15 inches high, sharply triangular, rough towards the top; 

 leafy at the bottom. Leaves about half as tall, erect, flat, 

 striated, a little hairy, roughish at the edges. Bracteas leafy, 1 

 to each catkin ; the lowermost largest, rising above the top of 

 the stem, very slightly sheathing at the base. Fertile catkins 2 

 or 3, ovate, or cylindrical, stalked, dense, obtuse, many-flowered. 



