CYPERACEvE. 93 



bifid rough-edged be.ik, about half as long as the rest of the fruit. 

 Style cylindrical ; stigmas 2. Nut olive-brown, roundish-oval, plano- 

 convex, 



Scb-Species I. — Carex eu-muricata. 



Plate MDCXXIV. 



Tieich. Ic. n. Germ, et Hclv. Vol. VIII. Tab. CCXV. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Essicc. No. 2958. 

 C. mnricata, And. Plitr. 



Stem erect, stiff. Spike continuous or more rarely interrupted 

 below. Spikelets 3 to 8. Glumes brownish, with green keels, rarely 

 pale. Fruit divai-icate, wdth a serrulate beak. 



Var. a, compacta. 

 Spikes continuous. Glumes brown, with a green keel. 



Var. )3, Pseudo-divulsa. 



C. divTilsa, Gaud. Fl. Heir. Vol. VI. p. 47, teste Koch (non Good.'). 

 C. mnricata, var. virens, Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ, et Helv. ed. ii. p. 866. 

 C. virens, Lam. Diet. Vol. III. p. 348, teste Gren. & Godr. (non Eeich.). 



Spikes greatly interrupted below. Glumes paler and greener than 

 in var. a. 



In meadows and Avoods, on grassy banks, and by roadsides. Rather 

 common throughout England ; more rare in Scotland, and not reaching 

 the extreme north of that country. Rare in Ireland, and not found 

 in the north of the island. Var. 3 is not unfrequent in Kent and 

 Surrey, and I have specimens from Bath, collected by the late Mr. R. 

 Withers. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Early Summer. 



Rootstock densely tufted, producing numerous stems 9 inches to 2 

 feet high. Leaves about J- inch broad, sometimes rough on the upper 

 side. Spike | inch to 1}^ inch long in var. a, but frequently 2 or even 

 3 inches in var. 3, consisting usually of 4 to 7 spikelets, of which the 

 lower ones are sometimes slightly compound, especially in var. 0. 

 Fruit I inch long, rather variable in shape, in var. usually larger 

 than in var. a. 



Sometimes the lowest bract is longer than the spike when it is the 

 var. virens of Reichenbach, but according to Koch and Grenier and 

 Godron, Lamarck's C. virens is the var. /i described above. 



Greater Prickly Sedge. 



French, Cares des haies. German, Sperrfr'dcldige Scgge. 



