118 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



keeled on the lower, and bent over towards the apex, from which the 

 extremely sliort tubercle-like beak is produced. 



The varieties given above are now universally admitted to be not 

 s})cciiically distinct from the type, though var. y is very unlike it in 

 habit. 



A very variable plant, but readily recognised by its extensively 

 creeping rootstock and very glaucous leaves, associated with slender 

 stalked female spikes, short-sheathiiig bracts, and slightly flattened 

 fruit more or less clothed with minute asperities, and with an ex- 

 tremely short entire beak. 



Glaucous Heath Sedge. 

 French, Carex glanque. German, Meergrilne Segge. 



SPECIES(?) XXXII.— CAR EX IRRIGUA. Boppe. 



Plate MDCXLVIII. 



Bekli. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VIII. Tab. CCXXXVIII. Fig. 593. 

 G. limosa, ft, irrigua, Wahl. Hook. & Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 515. Kunth, Enum. 

 Plant. Vol. II. p. 461. 



Rootstock creeping, the branches usually with several stems flowei*- 

 ing in a tuft at the apex, and short stolons. Stem erect, rather 

 sleijder, stiff, triquetrous, smooth throughout, or slightly rough im- 

 mediately below the lowest spike. Leavfes erect, somewhat flaccid, 

 shorter than the stem, linear, flat, with short rough-edged triquetrous 

 points, bright green, scarcely glaucous. Male spike 1, clavate-cylin- 

 drical, often with a few female flowers at the apex. Female spikes 2 

 or 3, rather approximate, on long capillary stalks, ultimately drooping, 

 oblong-ovoid, usually narrowed at the base, dense- and many-flowered. 

 Lowest bract foliaceous, equalling or more usually considerably ex- 

 ceeding the apex of the male spike, not sheathing, with rather short 

 adnate auricles. Glumes of the female flowers lanceolate, longly 

 acuminate or cuspidate-acuminate, longer but narrower than the 

 fruit, concave, dark chestnut, with the midrib nearly concolorous. 

 Fruit spreading-ascending, subsessile, roundish-oval, trigonous-lenti- 

 cular, not inflated, veiy faintly ribbed, smooth, glaucous green, tinged 

 with pale rust-colour, abruptly acuminated into an extremely short 

 entire point or beak. Stigmas 3. Nut brown, oval, bluntly-trigonous, 

 shortly mucronate, closely covered by the perigynium. 



In peaty bogs. Very local. Muckle Moss, near Thorngrafton, 

 Northumberland, where it was found for the first time in Britain by 

 Mr. John Thompson. It has since occurred at Terregles, near 

 Dumfries, Kirkcudbrightshire, from whence I have specimens; and in 

 the " British Flora," it is stated to occur " at Ben Inn, near Loch 



