272 MONOECIA TRIANDRIA. Carex. 



Root fibrous. Stem twelve to eighteen inches, weak. Ls. short, 

 rather broad, flower-leaves longer, narrower; their upper 

 sheaths almost concealing the flower-stalk : lower sheath, 

 enclosing about half the flower-stalk. Fruit cloven at the 

 summit. 



Dhcrim. The great distance of the pistil-bearing spikes fi'om each 

 other : the smoothness of the leaves, and capsules discrim. from 

 Car. hirta. 



(C. hinervis. See Appendix.) 



C. prcecox. Early Spring C. Sheaths about equal 

 to the very short flow^er-stalks. Spikes elHptical, 

 rather crowded. Scales of the pistil-bearing ones 

 pointed. Fruit pear-shaped, downy, with an abrupt, 

 entire point. E. B. 1099- H. L. 22. Schk. Car. 

 68. F. 27. Host, 1. t. 68. 



Dry heaths, hillocks, open, barren pastures. Shotover Hill. Sb. 



Per. ^4p)ril. 



Root creeping. Stem ascending obliquely, from three to six inches, 

 firm, naked. Ls. root-ones short. Bract, erect, often wanting. 

 Stamen-bearing spike rather blunt, club-shaped, their glumes 

 elliptical, or egg-shaped. Pistil-bearing one egg-shaped. 



Discrim. From Car. pilulifera by its shortly stalked spikes, and 

 its fi. -stalks with a sheath nearly equal to the fl. -stalk in length ; 

 its creeping root, and erect stalk. Conspicuous in spring, by its 

 numerous, tufted anthers. 



C. pilulifera. Round-headed C. Sheaths none. Pistil- 

 bearing spikes two or three, stalkless, close together, 

 almost globular, with pointed scales. Fruit triangular, 

 roundish, douTiy, \vith a short, cloven beak. E. B. 

 885. Schk. Car. 78. L 39. Host, t. 84. 



Heaths, moors. North-Leigh Heath. Sb. 



Per. Jime. 



Root fibrous. Stem weak, reclining, naked, six to twelve inches. 

 Ls bright-green, shorter than the straw. Bract, narrow, short, 

 stalkless, without any perceptible sheath. Spike, stamen-bear- 

 ing one, spear-shaped, glumes pointed. 



Discrim. Capsule somewhat downy as in Car. prsecox, but the 

 linear, stamen-bearing spike, the pistil-bearing ones stalkless, 

 and the reclining straw-stalk, distinguish it in every stage. 



C. panicea. Pink-leaved C. Sheaths lengthened out, 

 about half the length of the flower- stalks. Pistil- 

 bearing spikes one or two, distant ; lower one rather 

 lax. Fruit swollen, smooth, cloven at the summit. 

 Stem smooth, bluntly triangular. E. B. 1505. Schk. 

 Car. 110. L. 1. 100. Host, 1. t. 79. 



