130 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



angles prominent, with a faint rib on each of the 2 lower faces, finely 

 pubescent, olive, with a reddish-brown apex, gradually acuminated 

 into a scarcely perceptible entire point or beak. Stigmas 3. Nut 

 dark brown, not stipitate, obovate, bluntly trigonous, with a white 

 membranous disk surrounding the base of the style. 



On di-y banks and pastures. Common, and generally distributed. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Pei'ennial. Spring. 



Rootstock and leaves very similar to those of C. Ericetorum. Stems 

 stiffer and usually rather more erect, 3 to 15 inches high. ]\Iale spike 

 i- to 1 inch long, not so blunt as that of C. Ericetorum, and differing 

 in the orange-brown colour of the acute glume:*, which are either 

 wholly destitute of a silvery mai'gin or have one so narrow that it 

 does not conspicuously affect the colour of the spike; female spikes 

 sometimes very similar to those of C. Ericetorum, but usually longer 

 and more cj'lindrical, varying from ^ to -J inch long. Lowest bract 

 with the clasping auricles nmch paler than in C. Ericetorum, and the 

 point herbaceous, varying from -\ to 1 inch long, or even more. 

 Glumes of the female flowers tapering towards the apex either gra- 

 dually or abruptly, reddish-brown or chestnut, without the silvery- 

 Avhite tiUated margins of those of C. Ei-icetorum, and with the midrib 

 excurrent, not ceasing before the apex. Fruit about the size of that 

 of C. Ericetorum, but much more acuminated towards the apex, and 

 Avithout any purplish tinge. Nut chocolate brown, more narrowed 

 towards the base, more evidently shagreened and broader than in C. 

 Ericetorum, with a small membranous disk surrounding the base of the 

 style. 



Vernal Sedge. 

 French, Carox precuce. German, Fruhzeitir/e Segge, 



SPECIES XLI.— C AREX TOMENTOSA. Lim. 



Plate MDCLVI. 



Reich. Ic. n. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VIII. Tab. CCLXIII. Fig. 638. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1567. 



Rootstock subcaispitose, Avith slender elongate stolons. Stem erect, 

 always straight, slender, stiff, triangular, rough towards the apex. 

 Leaves erect, those at the base of the flowering stems shorter than the 

 stem, and shorter than those of the barren shoots, rather flaccid ; all 

 linear, nearly flat, rough on the edges, pale green, dull, slightly 

 glaucous. Male spike shortly stalked, fusiform-cylindrical, acute, 

 with the glumes ovate-oblong, acute, orange-brown without broad 

 silvery margins and apices. Female spikes 1 or 2, very rarely 3, 

 approximate, subsessile, erect, oblong or cylindrical-oblong, dense, 



