140 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



short included stalk, the lowest with a long stalk more or less ex- 

 serted beyond the sheath of its bract, arching-pendulous, very longly 

 cylindrical, slightly thickened towards the apex, very dense, with 

 innumerable flowers. Bracts sheathing, foliaceous, the lowest one 

 much longer than its sj)ike, and commonly reaching nearly to the 

 base of the male spike. Glumes of the female flowers oval-lanceolate, 

 cuspidate-mucronate or subaristate, bright purpUsh-brown, with a 

 broad green stripe on the midrib and very narrow scarious margins, 

 shorter and narrower than the fruit. Fruit ascending-spreading, 

 sessile, irregularly ovoid, more curved above than below, pointed, 

 bluntly trigonous, moderately inflated, rather indistinctly nerved, 

 slightly shining, pellucid-green, rather abruptly acuminated into a 

 short deflexed smooth notched beak. Stigmas 3. Nut pale yellow, 

 oval-triquetrous, acuminated at each end. 



In moist woods and damp shady hedgebanks, and by the sides of 

 ditches. Rather common, and generally distributed in England. 

 Rare in Scotland, extending north to Abex'deen, Banfl^, Elgin, and 

 Lanark. Rather rare in Ireland, and chiefly found in the south and 

 east. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Plant growing in large round tufts, witTi numerous flowering stems 

 and barren shoots. Stems 2 to 6 feet high, with leaves at the base 

 and also at intervals throughout the stem. Leaves i to nearly 1 inch 

 broad, those of the barren shoots often 2 feet long or more, those on the 

 flowering stem shorter. Bracts resembling the stem leaves, becoming 

 smaller as they are placed higher on the stem. Male spike 3 to G 

 inches long, not unfrequently female at the apex. Female spikes 

 4 to 7 inches long and about as thick as a swan's quill when in fruit, 

 but while in flower about as thick as a crow's quill. Fruit about ^ 

 inch long, with a hump on the upper side towards the apex so that 

 a vertical section would present a half-obovate figure. 



A very handsome plant, unlike any of the other British Carices. 

 The leaves have some resemblance to those of C. I'iparia, but there is 

 no other similarity between the two species. 



Great Pendulous Sedge. 



French, Carex a ejjis pendants. German, Hdwjende Sejge. 



Group W.— SYLVATIC^. 



Rootstock subcfcspitose or shortly creeping, sometimes with the 

 branches subchordorrhizal, with or without elongate stolons. Spikes 

 remote or distant. ]\Iale spike 1, rather shortly stalked, sometimes 



