564 CArEUACii.E. [Cai-ex. 



of the white membranous edging so conspicuous in that species. Perigynes 

 when ripe, together with the glumes, nearly erect or imbricated, and hence more 

 compressed on iheir inner face than in C. fulva, with several (7, Leighton) lateral 

 and two prominent marffinal ribs, the beak ralher shorter and less slender than in 

 C. fulva, and, like that, barbed with a few marginal spines ; sometimes, it is said, 

 smooth. Nut larger and longer than in C. fulva, with sharper angles and flatler 

 faces, more attenuated at each end, and rather ovato-oblong than turbinate, tipped, 

 as in that species, with the remains of the style. 



This species, too closely approaching C. fulva to be really distinct, is perhaps 

 a maritime form of that more inland plant, and is chiefly distinguished by having 

 three instead of two pistillate spikes, by the frnit being nearly erect and usually 

 more crowded or numerous; hence the pistillate spikes are somewhat more elon- 

 gated. The absence of roughness on the stem, the somewhat shorter beak, not 

 bordered and much less pointed glumes, smaller and differently shaped seed, are 

 apparently constant marks of distinction. 



23. C. fulva, Qooden. Timi-ni/ Sedge. " Sterile spikelets 1 or 

 rarely 2, fertile ones obloug-oval distant, sheaths elongated shorter 

 than the peduncles, bracteas foliaceous, fruit broadly ovate ascend- 

 ing glabrous ribbed acuminated into a straight rough-edged beak 

 bifid at the point, glumes acute (not mucronate)." — B7: Fl. p. 497. 



/3. speirostachya. " Stem bluntly triangular smooth or scabrons near the sum- 

 mit, fertile spikelets on lower stalks, beak smoother with a more distant membra- 

 naceous orifice." — Br. Fl. p. 498. C. speirostachya, Wuhlenh. (teste F. Boott in 

 litt.), vide Phytol. i. p. 924. Br. Fl. p. 497. E. B. S. t. 2770. Host. Gram. 

 Aust. iv. 5.3, t. 95? Fl. Dan. x. t. 1768? xiv. t. 2435, vi. t. 1049 (sub nomine 

 C. distans). 



/3. only. In damp or marshy meadows and pastures, as well brackish as fresh 

 often in great plenty, and mostly towards the coast. Ft. June. 2^. 



E. Med.—^eAx Briddlesford heath, 1841. 



W. Med. — On the boggy ground at the upper end of Colwell heath, in great 

 plenty. In the marsh-meadows at Easton, near Freshwater, abundantly. 



/3. Root creeping, with copious whitish branched fibres, and emitting leafy or 

 barren suckers. Culms slender, erect or a little ascending, 12 — 20 inches high, 

 solid, bluntly triangular below, more acutely so above, and rougbish for a short 

 distance beneath each sheath, which is not the case in C. dislans, otherwise 

 smooth as in that. Leaves very much shorter than the culm and principally at 

 its base, linear, spreading, stifhsh, rough at the edges and keel, channelled above, 

 acutely keeled beneath, more or less recurved, those higher on the stem very dis- 

 tant, few (1 or 2), short, flat and erect : the leaves of the barren or radical shoois 

 are usually longer and narrower than either. Staminate spike levmiual, mostly 

 solitary ; sometimes there is a smaller one a little beneath it. Pistillate spikes 2 

 or more rarely 3, erect, tlie upper one 3 or 4 inches from that beneath it, the third 

 when present still more distant from the second, on smooth slender stalks, exceed- 

 ing, but in very variable degrees, the rather long, close, slightly rough sheaths, 

 surmounted by theslill longer upright leafy bracts, while, however, even that of the 

 upper fertile spike, does not reach the summit of the barren one. Glumes ovate, 

 acute or even acuminate, but not mucronate, greenish brown, with a green dorsal 

 keel and a white scariose border, by which last mark they are best distinguished 

 from the same part in C. fulva, a. Periiiynes sessile, glabrous, greenish and partly 

 tawny-brown when ripe, spreading or patent, ovoid or ovoid-elliplica), somewhat 

 inflated, subtriquetrous, with sever:il stout ribs and prominent lateral margins, 

 which last are continued into a rather long and suddenly tapering straight beak, 

 rougbish on the edges, the apex slightly cloven. ISut pale brown, covered with 

 minute elevated points only to be seen under a high magnifier, turbinate, trigo- 

 nous ; the angles rib-like, obtuse ; the faces convex at the top, depressed below ; 

 the very obtuse apex 'tipped with the short base of the style. 



Dr. Boott tells me (in litl.) that he inclines to the idea established, he finds, by 



