120 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



yellow, elliptical, bluntly trigonous, shortly mucronate, closely covered 

 by the perigynium. 



In peat mosses and spongy bogs. Rave, but widely though thinly 

 distributed, from Dorset, Hants, and Suffolk to Aberdeen, and Skye, 

 and perhaps also to Sutherland. Local in Ireland, but extending 

 from the south to the north of the island, though most frequent in the 

 west and north. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Rootstock extensively creeping, each of its branches producing from 

 1 to 3 flowering stems and a few barren tufts. Stem very slender, 6 

 to 12 inches high, more or less curved below, leafy only at the base. 

 Male spike ^ to 1 inch long ; female spikes f to f inch long. Lowest 

 peduncle |- to 1 inch long. Fruit | inch long. 



C. limosa is certainly very closely allied to C. irrigua, but is more 

 slender, less ca^spitose, and has the leaves much narrower, deeply 

 channelled, more or less involute, and much more glaucous than in 

 C. irrio-ua. The male spike in C. limosa is more erect, and at a 

 greater distance from the uppermost female spike. The female spikes 

 are rarely more than 2 in number, and though the extreme dimensions 

 are the same m both plants, yet the average length of the spikes in 

 C. limosa is greater than in C. irrigua ; they are also more abrupt at 

 the base, from the absence of male spikes at their base. The bracts 

 in C. limosa are much shorter, more slender, often setaceous. The 

 glumes are broader, shorici, Mid more abruptly pointed, generally 

 paler, and very often with the midrib green. The fruit is narrower 

 and rather more distinctly nerved. The nut also is narrower than in 

 C. irrigua. 



Narrow-leaved Mud Sedge. 



French, Carex des fanges. German, ScJdamm-Segge. 



SPECIES XXXIV.— CARE X RARIFLORA. Sm. 



Plate ilDCXLIX. 



C. limosa var. rari flora, Walil. Kuntli, Enum. Plant, Vol. II. p. 4C1. 



Rootstock creeping, the branches usually with single stems at the 

 apex, and rather long stolons. Stem erect, rather slender, stiff, 

 bluntly triangular, smooth throughout. Leaves erect, rather flaccid, 

 much shorter than the stem, flat, narrowly linear with short rough- 

 edged triquetrous points, bright green, scarcely glaucous. Male 

 spilve 1, linear-fusiform. Female spikes 2 or 3, rather remote, or 2 

 of them approximate, on rather long capillary stalks, ultimately 

 pendulous, oblong-cylindrical, lax- and few-flowered. Lowest bract 

 setaceous or more rarely foliaeeous, not reaching to the base of the 



