78 KNGLISH BOTANY. 



compound spike, or more rarely solitary, or the flowers in separate 

 spikes arranged in a raceme. Glumes of each spikelet or spike usually 

 numerous, imbricated all round the axis, all with flowers in their axils. 

 Male and female flowers sometimes intermixed in the same spikelet 

 or spike {androgynous)^ or sometimes with the male flowers in one 

 spikelet and the female in another {unisexual). Male flowers with 3 

 stamens. Female flowers with an ovary enclosed in a sac, with a sing;lo 

 deciduous style, having 2 or 3 stigmas. Nut triquetrous when there 

 are 3 stigmas, lenticular when there are only 2 ; in either case enclosed 

 in a sac {fruit or perigi/nmm), which sometimes tightly fits the nut, 

 at other times is loose and inflated, and has an entire or truncate or 

 more or less deeply bidentate beak or point. 



Perennial herbs, with the stems often triangular and the leaves 

 generally grasslike. Spikelets variously disposed. 



The name of tliia genus is derived from the Greek word Ktipu), I shear or cut, in 

 allusion to the sharp leaves. 



Section I.— MONOSTACHYJE. 

 Spike terminal, solitary, simple, unisexual or androgynous. 



Group A DIOIC^.* 



Spikes dicEcious, or rarely the male spike with a few female flowers 

 at the base. Stigmas 2. Nut plano-convex. Bracts none. 



SPECIES I.— CARE X DIOICA. Linn. 



Plate MDCX. 



Beich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VIII. Tab. CXCIV. Fig. 522. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 2.562. 



Rootstock creeping, rarely subcajspitose, with elongate stolons. 

 Stems erect, filiform, cylindrical, smooth. Leaves erect, short, sub- 

 setaceous, semicylindrical, channelled above, rigid, smooth, deep green, 

 not glaucous. Spike terminal, solitary, simple, dioecious, without a 

 bract at the base. Male spike linear-cylindrical ; glumes broadly lance- 

 olate, subacute, fawn-coloured, with pale edges. Female spike ovoid; 

 glumes oval subobtuse, shorter than the fruit, deciduous, reddish- 



* In this difficult genus I have in the main used the divisions given by Dr. N. J. 

 Andersson, in his " Planta) ScaiidinaviiP." 



