144 KNGT.ISH ROT ANY. 



j\Iale spike 5^ to 1^ inch long. Femule spikes i to f incli long, rarely 

 with more tlian 4 fruits, and generally with only 3. Fruit (including 

 its stalk and beak) ^ inch long, the swollen part nearly the size of a 

 hemjjseed, finely punctate between the very numerous ribs; beak 

 with a membranous mouth split into 2 short blunt lobes. Nut ^^ 

 inch long, the largest of any of the British species. 



A very distinct species, quite unlike the rest of the British Carices, 

 but on the Continent it has allies in the following species : C. Olbicnsis, 

 Jord., C. j\lichelii. Host., C. brevicoUis, D.C.., C. pilosa. Scop., and 

 C. Linkii, Schkuhr. Of these, C. pilosa, with its broad leaves on the 

 barren shoots, rather long and very lax spikes, fruit attenuated at 

 both ends and furnished with a very short deflexed beak, connects 

 C. depauperata with C. strigosa ; and C. Michelii, with a nearly ribless 

 fruit furnished with a long beak which has two large firm and not 

 membranous teeth, shows an approximation to C. sylvatica. Strangely 

 enough, Mr. Bentham places C. depauperata as a variety of his C. 

 distans, under which he also includes C. fulva. Good., C. distans, 

 Linn., C. binervis, Sm., and C. laevigata, Sm., with none of which C. 

 depauperata agrees either in habit or in minute character ; while he 

 keeps 0. sylvatica, Huds. (which has at least a superficial resemblance 

 to C. kevigata) not only as a species, but with 5 species between it 

 and his C. distans. 



Starved Wood Sedge. 



French, Garex appauvri. 



SPECIES L.— CAREX SYLVATICA. Suds. 



Plate MDCLXV. 



Reich. Ic. PI. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VIII. Tab. CCXLII. Fig. 603. 



BlUof, Fl. Gall, et Gei-m. Exsicc. No. 874. 



C. Drymeia, Ehrh. Euufh, Enum. Plant. Vol. II. p. 470. Reich. Fl. Germ. Excura. 



p. 67. 

 C. patula, Scop. B.C. Fl. Fr. Vol. III. p. 128. 

 C. capillaris, Leers, Herb. No. 725 (non Linn.). 



Rootstock caespitQse, with very short thick branches, each of which 

 produces several flowering stems and barren shoots at the apex. Stem 

 erect, at length arching, slender, weak, triangular, smooth and leafy 

 throughout, or very slightly rough at the apex. Leaves shorter than 

 the stem, firm, broadly linear, those of the barren shoots and at the 

 base of the flowering stem longer but very little broader than those on 

 the stem, flat, slightly rough on the margins towards the apex, green, 

 not glaucous. Male spike 1, sometimes with a few female flowers at 

 the base, shortly stalked, linear-cylindrical, narrowed at the base, with 

 oblong obtuse or obliquely ti'uncate mucronate or apiculate glumes. 

 Female spikes 3 to 5, sometimes with a few male flowers at the apex, 



