114 ENGLISH BOTANY, 



SPECIES XXX.-CAREX VULGARIS. Fries. 



Plate MDCXLIII. 



Belch. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VIH. Tabs. CCXXVn. and CCXXVIII. 



Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 25G4. 



C. cffispitosa, Good. Sm. Eugl. Bot. ed. i. No. 1507; and Engl. Fl. Vol. IV. p. 117. 



Kiinlli, Enum. Plant. Vol. II. p. 411. 

 C. Goodenovii, Gay. Gren. & Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. III. p. 402. 



Rootstock creeping, or more or less ctespitose, with or without long 

 stolons. Stein erect, slender, stiff, triquetrous, slightly rough at the 

 apex. Leaves nearly as long as the stem, erect, rather stiiF, narrowly 

 linear, flat or channelled, rough on the margins, dull green, more or 

 less glaucous ; sheaths entbe, not filamentous at the margins, all with 

 laminfj except the very lowest. Male spike 1, more rarely 2 (very rarely 

 androgynous, with female flowers in the middle), cylindrical or fusi- 

 form-cylindrical. Female spikes 2 to 4, approximate or rather remote, 

 sessile, or the lowest one with a short stalk, erect, oblong-cylindrical 

 or oblong-fusiform, with the fruit densely imbricated all round, or in 

 7 or 8 longitudinal rows. Bracts foliaceous, the lowest one usually 

 equalling or exceeding the apex of the male sj^ike, but sometimes 

 falling short of it, not sheathing, with 2 very short and prominent 

 semicircular dark brown or purplish auricles at the base. Glumes of 

 the female flowers lanceolate-oval, obtuse, rarely acute or cuspidate, 

 commonly nearly as long but not so broad as the fruit, very rarely 

 considerably shorter or a little longer than the fruit. Fruit erect- 

 adpressed, sessile, broadly-oval, plano-convex, faintly ribbed towards 

 the base, pale greenish or pale olive, abruptly terminated by a short 

 smooth entire poiiit or beak. Stigmas 2. Nut pale fawn-colour, 

 roundish-obovate, plano-convex. 



Var. a, genidna. 



Plate MDCXLIII. 



Slightly caispitose, with the flowering stems few or solitary in each 

 tuft. Glumes a little shorter than the fruit. Fruit obtuse. 



Var. 3, idiginosa. 



Densely cfcspitose. Stems numerous in each tuft. Glumes a little 

 shorter than or as lonsj as the fruit. Fruit obtuse. 



