116 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



From C. aquatilis it differs in the fruit being distinctly nerved 

 towards llic base and tlie spikes usually much thicker and shorter. 



The fruit of C. vulgaiis is broader in proportion to its length, and 

 less narrowed towards the apex than in any of tlie Acuta' except C. 

 aquatilis, and it is hardly even indistinctly stipitate, as in all the others 

 of the section to which it belongs. 



Common Sedge. 

 French, Carex commim. German, Qenieine Segge. 



Group 0.— LIMOSiE. 



Rootstock creeping, with long stolons. Spikes rather remote, 

 rarely approximate, the uppermost one wholly male (rarely with a 

 few female flowers), the lateral ones nearly wholly female, on capil- 

 lary stalks, dense or lax, drooping, rarely suberect : more rarely 1 

 or 2 of the uppermost lateral spikes male. Glumes dark. Lowest 

 bract foliaceous, without a closed sheath, or rarely with a short one. 

 Fruit glaucous green, rarely dark brown or black, smooth or slightly 

 rough, depressed-trigonous or trigonous-lenticular, not inflated, with an 

 extremely short entire or slightly notched point or beak. Stigmas 3. 

 Nut trigonous. 



SPECIES XXXL— CAREX GLAUCA. Sco^. 



Plates MDCXLIV. MDCXLV. MDCXLVI. 



Beich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VIII. Tab. GCLXIX. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1571. 

 C. recurva. Buds. Sm. Engl. Fl. Vol. IV. p. 114. 

 G. flacca, Schreh. SchJcur, Car. Vol. I. p. 117. 



Rootstock extensively creeping, with elongate stolons. Stem erect, 

 slender, 'wiiy, trigonous, smooth throughout. Leaves erect or recurved, 

 shorter than the stem, linear, flat, slightly rough on the margins 

 towards the apex, very glaucous. Male spikes 1 to 3, linear-fusiform. 

 Female spikes 2 to 3, remote or more or less approximate, more or less 

 distinctly stalked, ultimately drooping or more rarely suberect when 

 the stalks are very short, cylindrical or oblong-ovoid or ovoid, dense- 

 and many-flowered. Lowest bract foliaceous, as long as or longer 

 than the male spike, shortly sheathing, the sheaths sometimes scarcely 

 apparent. Glumes of the female flowers ovate or roundish-ovate, 

 acute or more rarely obtuse, purplish-black or dark reddish-brown, 

 with green or pale midribs, about as long as but not so broad as the 

 I'ruit. Fruit ascending or ascending-spreading, sessile, oval or obovatc, 



