CYPF.RACKJE. Ill 



A form of C. acuta growiiif!; in dense tufts, and with the frlunies 

 longer than the fruit, grows in the ditcli by the side of the towing- 

 jiath on the banks of the Thames near Richmond. Tliis is perhaps 

 C. prolixa of Fries, but of tlie Scandinavian [)hint I have seen no 

 specimens. 



A small form with the friumes sliorter than tlie fruit and less acute 

 than usual I ]iossess from clay pits at Xorthwick, near Worcester, 

 collected by Mr. G. ]\Iaw. This is pcrhajis C. tricostata of Fries, 

 but in this case also I have no means of comparing it with the Scandi- 

 navian plant. 



Slender-spiked Sedge. 

 French, Carex aigu. German, Spitzkantige Segge. 



SPECIES XXVni.— CAR EX RIGID A. Good. 



Plate MDCXL. 



7?ei"c7i. Ic. Fl. Germ, ct Helv. Vol. VIU. Tab. CCXXV. Fig. 578. 

 C. saxatilis, "Linn." Willd. Kunth. Enum. Plant. Vol. II. p. 410. 



Rootstock not ctespitose, creeping, with elongate stolons. Stem 

 erect or slightly curved, rather stout, very rigid, triquetrous, rough 

 immediately beneath the lowest spike, or more rarely smooth through- 

 out. Leaves shorter than the stem, recurved, stiff, broadly linear, fiat, 

 rough on the margins, bright shining green, slightly glaucous beneath ; 

 slieaths entire, not filamentous at the margins, all with laminae except 

 the very lowest. ]Male spike 1, clavate or fusiform. Female spikes 2 

 or 3, rarely 1 or 4, all approximate, or the lower one rather remote, 

 subsessile or the lower one shortly stalked, erect, fusiform- or oblong- 

 ovoid, rarely oblong-cylindrical, with the fruit densely imbricated all 

 round. Lowest bract foliaceous, not reaching to the apex of the male 

 spike, and generally much shorter, with 2 short prominent oblong 

 nearly free brown subscarious auricles at the base. Glumes of the 

 female flowers ovate-oval, obtuse, reddish-black, with green or pale 

 midribs and narrow pale margins, equalling or shorter than but nearly 

 as broad as the fruit. Fruit ascending, substipitate, broadly oval, len- 

 ticular, smooth, not ribbed, pale green or olive, abruptly terminated 

 by a very short cylindrical entire smooth point or beak. Stigmas 2. 

 Nut pale olive, roundish-obovate, lenticular. 



On rocky ledges and barren stony places, and in marshes on high 

 mount.'tins. Kather common. It occurs in Carnarvon, Tecsdale, and 

 Chcviotland in England. In Scotland on Hartfell, Dumfries; and 

 plentifully in the Scottish Highlands, forming a great part of the turf 

 on the bare summits of even the hiiihest mountains. On the moun- 



