. MONOECIA TRIANDRIA. 56^ 



The flalk varies from a foot to two feet hio-h : the 

 leaves are i-5th of an inch wide : the male fpike 

 Js commonly fingle, narrow and linear, of a 

 green ifh-yellow colour, from half an inch to one 

 and a half long: the fcales oval-acute and ycl- 

 Jowifli, with a green nerve : the female fpikes 

 are three, or more, frequently four, from one to 

 two inches long, narrow and linear, either green 

 or of a yellowifh green colour, ere£t at firll, but 

 afterwards pendent, fuported on fine flender pe- 

 , duncles, the lowermoft of which are longer than 

 the fpikes they fupport : the uppermoR of the 

 female fpikes arifes from the ala of the fame hrctlea 

 as the male fpike, but is not fo tall as that : the 

 floral leaves are not higher than the flalk, fel- 

 dom fo high : the capfules are triangular and 

 greenifh, with an acute roflirum, and (lightly bi- 

 fid point : they are alternate, and thinly fet, 

 which is a ftrong character of the fpecies : the 

 fcales are oval- acute, of a greenifh yellow co- 

 lour, and fometimes white, with a green carina : 

 the fii%mata are three in number, and of a red 

 colour. 

 Linmfus informs us, that the Laplanders comb and 

 drefs this fpecies of Carex as we do flax, and in 

 the winter feafon fluff their llioes and gloves 

 with it, as a defence againfl the extreme rigour 

 of the climate. They apply fome other fpecies 

 to the fame purpofe, but this feems to have the 

 preference in common ufe, 



Oo 2 CAREX 



