554 THE SEDGE TAMII/T. 



the leaves radical or sheathing the stems at the base, spreading, and mucli 

 shorter than the stem. Spikelets 4 or 5, short and brown, closely sessile in 

 a short terminal spike. In each sjjikelet the lower flowers are female, con- 

 sisting within the glume of 2 shorter scales enclosing an oTary with a 3-cleft 

 style. The upper flowers of the terminal spikelet, and usually one terminal 

 flower of the lateral spikelets are males, consisting of 3 stamens within the 

 glumes, without inner scales. Sometimes the lower spikelets are slightly 

 compound or branched. 



In moors and wet places, in the mountains of northern and central Eu- 

 rope, and in the Caucasus. In Britain, only in a few locaUties in Perthshire 

 and in the north of England. Fl. summer. 



IX. CAREX. CAEEX. 



Herbs, mostly perennial, with Grass-hke leaves, chiefly radical or on the 

 lower part of the stem. Spikelets sohtary or several in a terminal spike, or 

 the lower ones distant or stalked, or rarely forming a short compound spike 

 or dense panicle. Flowers unisexual, the stamens and pistils always in 

 separate glumes, either in separate spikelets or in difierent parts of the same 

 spikelet, which is then called mixed or androgynous. Glumes imbricated all 

 round the axis. Stamens in the males 3, or rarely 2, without bristles or 

 inner scales. Ovary in the females enclosed within a bottle-shaped or in- 

 flated sacJc or nitride, contracted at the top, with a small opening through 

 which protrudes the 2-cleft or 3-cleft style. Tliis sack persists round the 

 nut, forming an angular or bladdery outer covering to the seed-hke fruit. 

 It is by some botanists considered as a perianth, but it appears to be in fact 

 more analogous to the two inner scales or bracts of Kobresia, and to the palea 

 of Grasses. 



A very large and well-defined genus, widely spread over Europe, northern 

 Asia, and North America, extending into the mountain-ranges of the tropics, 

 and the extratropical regions of the southern hemisphere. The great con- 

 formity of the essential characters of the genus render it difficult to break it 

 up into well-marked sections, and the main divisions are usually taken fi-om 

 the relative position of the male and female spikelets or of their male and 

 female portions. These characters are readily appreciated when the plant is 

 in flower, but when ui fi-uit, a state in which it is necessary to procure it in 

 order to determine the species vrith accm-acy, it requires some attention not 

 to overlook the few male flowers at the base or at the top of the mixed 

 spikes, as, the stamens having fallen away, they then appear Uke empty 

 glumes. 



( Spikelet solitary and terminal 2 



, ) Spikelets several, the terminal one mixed, the rest female or mixed 3 



i Spikelets several, the terminal one or more male (rarely with a very few female flowers 

 V. at the base), the others female or mixed 33 



Spikelet solitary, terminal. 



.1 C Spikelet wholly male or wholly female S 



" I .Spikelet raixeci, male at the top, female at the base 4 



{Male and female spikelets on diiferent plants 1 . Dicecions C. 

 Female spikelet on a long peduncle arising from the base of the male stem. 

 2i. VioarfC. 

 ('Spikelet above 6 lines long. Stigmas 2. Fruits tapering to a point . .2. Flea C. 

 \ Spikelet above 6 lines long. Stigmas 3. Fruits obovoid, obtuse . . . Z. Bock C. 

 1 Spikelet not above 4 lines. Flowers very few. Stigmas 3. Fruit tapering. 

 (, . " i. Few-flowered C. 



