148 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



spikes 2 to 4, remote, or the lowest one distant, the lowest one above 

 the middle of the stem, on a long more or less exserted stalk, the 

 ui^per ones on very short slightly or scarcely exserted stalks, at length 

 inclined or pendulous, rarely suberect, cylindrical or oblong, very 

 dense, many-flowered. Bracts sheathing, foliaceous, the lamina of the 

 lowest one longer than its o^vn spike, but not reaching nearly to the 

 apex of the male spike. Glumes of the female flowers oval-ovate, 

 cuspidate, or the lower ones subai'istate, chocolate-brown, with a 

 narrow green stripe on the back, and rather narrow pale scarious 

 margins, rather shorter and narrower than the fruit. Fruit erect- 

 ascending, not stipitate, rhomboidal-ovate, narrowed both towards the 

 base and apex, plano-convex-trigonous, considerably inflated, with 

 several faint ribs and 2 strong bright green marginal ones, slightly 

 shining, green variegated with chocolate-brown or wholly brown, rather 

 abruptly narrowed into a rather long straight plano-convex rough- 

 edged rather deeply 2-toothed beak, about half as long as the rest of the 

 fruit. Stigmas 3. Nut stipitate, pale yellowish green, oblong-obovate, 

 triquetrous, subtruncate, and with a short apiculus at the apex, loosely 

 covered by the perigynium. 



On heaths in low ground and in grassy places on mountains. 

 Rather common, and generally distributed. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring, early Summer. 



Rootstock rather more longly creeping than in C. lajvigata. Stems 

 10 to 30 inches high. Leaves about | inch broad; sheaths of 

 stem leaves with a short scarious lobe opposite the lamina, not so long 

 as broad. Male spike f to 1^ inch long. Female spikes h to 1| inch 

 long. Fruit ^ inch long. 



C. binervis bears considerable resemblance to C. laevigata, but the 

 leaves ai'e much longer, narrower, and stifl'er ; the male spike has the 

 glumes darker and more obtuse ; the female spikes have the glumes 

 darker, less gradually acuminate, and consequently more evidently 

 cuspidate than in C. lajvigata. Fruit darker coloured and more or less 

 tinged with chocolate-brown, wliich makes the strong green marginal 

 ribs very conspicuous ; the dots on it between the ribs are also choco- 

 late-brown, which is rarely the case m C. laevigata. The fruit differs 

 in shape by having the broadest part near the middle, and the beak 

 shorter in proportion to the rest of the fruit ; the teeth of the beak are 

 much shorter. 



In upland districts the fertile spikes arc sometimes quite short with 

 nearly included peduncles, and the fruit is wholly dark chocolate, with 

 only the ribs green. 



Green-ribbed Sedge. 



Krunch, Carc.f (t deux ncrvures. German, Ziieineixige Segge. 



