492 THE SEDGE FAMILY. [Carex. 



point. Styles 2-cleft. Fruits flat, with a scarious wing or border. C. 

 ovalis, Good. 



In moist meadows, and pastures, over the whole of Europe and tem- 

 perate Asia, found also in the Rocky Mountains of North America. 

 Generally diffused over Britain. FL summer, rather early. 



6. C. lagopina, Wahlenb. (fig. 1116). Hare's foot 0. — Very near 

 <?. leporina, but a smaller plant, seldom above 8 or 9 inches high, form- 

 ing rather dense tufts, with the leaves about half the height of the 

 stems. Spikelets usually 3 or 4, very close together, of the shape 

 of those of C. leporina, but rather smaller, and the fruits, though flat, 

 are not winged. 



An Alpine plant, not unfrequent in northern Europe, Asia, and 

 America, at high latitudes, and in the higher mountain ranges of 

 central and southern Europe. In Britain, only on the loftiest moun- 

 tains of Aberdeen, and there extremely rare. FL summer. 



7. O. elongata, Linn. (fig. 1117). Elongated 0. — When first flower- 

 ing this plant has the appearance of tall, luxuriant specimens of C. 

 canescens, often attaining 2 feet, but the spikelets are browner, and the 

 ripe fruit attains near 2 lines, tapers into a point, and spreads more or 

 less from the axis, projecting far beyond the glumes. The spikelets 

 are longer, narrower, and not near so close as in (7. leporina, and the 

 fruits are not at all winged. 



In marshes, in central and northern Europe, and northern Asia, from 

 northern Spain and Italy almost to the Arctic circle, and in North- 

 West America. Rare in Britain, although it has been found in several 

 counties of England, in the south of Scotland, and in Antrim in Ireland, 

 Fl. early summer. 



8. C. echinata, Murr. (fig. 1118). Star-headed C. — A tufted species, 

 rarely above 6 or 8 inches higk, with the leaves mostly shorter than 

 the stem. Spikelets 3 or 4, at some distance from each other (except 

 sometimes the 2 uppermost), oval-oblong, and about 3 lines long when 

 they first come out ; but as the flowering advances, the long-beaked 

 fruits spread in every direction, giving the spikelets a nearly globular 

 form. The male flowers occupy the lower half of the terminal spike- 

 let, and a small portion of the base of the two others. Styles 2- 

 cleft. Fruits about 2 lines long, and edges slightly rough. 0, stellulata, 

 Gooden. 



In marshy places, especially in mountain districts, in Europe and 

 Russian Asia, from Spain and Italy to the Arctic regions, and in North 

 America. Frequent in Britain. Fl. spring or early summer. 



9. C. canescens, Linn. (fig. 1119). Whitish C. — Stems tufted, a 

 foot high or rather more, with rather long leaves. Spikelets 4 to 6, at 

 some distance from each other, or the uppermost closer, 3 or 4 lines 

 long, of a pale green. Fruits not longer than the glumes, rounded at 

 the top, with a small point, not tapering into a beak as in the last three 

 species. Styles 2-cleft. Male flowers generally very few, at the base 

 of most of the spikelets. 0. curta, Good. 



In bogs and marshy places, in northern and Arctic Europe and Asia, 

 and in the mountains of central and southern Europe to the Caucasus, 

 and in North America. Spread over many parts of Britain, and 

 abundant in some bogs, but not very general. Fl. early summer. An 

 alpine variety, with smaller spikelets, has been distinguished under 



