274 MONOECIA TRIANDRIA. Carex. 



Root creeping. Stems nine to twelve inches. Ls. erect, almost 

 as tall as the stem, narrow, acute, bright green. Bract, at the 

 base, a pair of round, black, ear-like appendages. Stamen- 

 bearing spike mostly solitary, spear-shaped, erect, with green- 

 ribbed scales. Pistil-bearing sp. cylindrical, shortish, blunt, 

 close, its scales elliptical, bl&ck, green-ribbed. Fruit permanent 

 after it is ripe. Black glumes of the pistil-bearing spikes appear 

 to the eye, as if deeply margined with a lighter colour. Scales 

 shorter than the ripe, black caps. 



Discrim. Fruit in Car. sti'icta falling almost as soon as ripe. Car. 

 caespitosa, flowers nearly a month later. 



(C. sti'icta. Glaucous Straight-leaved C. Stigmas 

 two. Sheaths none. Pistil-bearing spikes nearly stalk- 

 less, erect, cyhndrical, lengthened out, acute ; often 

 barren-flowered at the top. Bases of the leaves like 

 net-work. Fruit elliptical, flat, with a short, cloven 

 beak, falHng off (deciduous.) E. B. 914. Schk. Car. 

 60. t. V. 73. 



Marshes. At Pophills, side of a ditch, near to the river Arrow. 

 Purt07is FL V. 3. pt. II. 



Per. u4priL 



Rather glaucous, erect, one and a half to two f. Sp)ike two inches.) 



***** Barren and fertile florets in separate spikes. Barren spikes 

 tivo or more. 



C. acuta. Slender- Spiked C. Stigmas two. Spikes 

 cylindrical, slender ; drooping in flower ; afterwards 

 erect. Fruit elliptical, with a blunt, undivided beak. 

 K B. 580. Schk. Car. 61. E, e. 92. Host, 70. t. 

 95. C. gracihs. C. 4. 62. Sb. 32. 



Watery meadoivs, about ditches and pools. 



Per. May. 



Root creeping. Stem variable in height, from three inches to one, 

 two, or three feet. Its summit drooping in flower, soon becom- 

 ing erect. Ls. bright, deep green, drooping near the top. Spikes 

 scales of the stamen-bearing ones spear-shaped, bluntish ; of the 

 pistil-bearing ones linear, sharpish. Bract, one at the base of 

 each pistil-bearing spike. 



Discrim. In its young state resembles Car. pendula, distinguished 

 from it by its two stigmas. Discrim. Its slenderness of habit, 

 drooping flowers, compressed, undivided caps. Flowers a week 

 or two later than Car. riparia, and Car. paludosa. Sheaths none. 



C. paludosa. Smaller Common C. Stigmas three. 

 Stamen-bearing spikes cylindrical, bluntish, erect ; the 

 pistil-bearing ones with taper-pointed scales. Fruit 

 egg-shaped, triangular, compressed, with a notched 



