496 THE SEDGE FAMILY. [Carex. 



Asia, from the Mediterranean to the Arctic regions, and in North 

 America. FL spring and summer. The principal forms occurring in 

 Britain, often considered as species, are : — 



a. G. rigida, Good. A dwarf alpine form, scarcely 6 inches high, with 

 short, flat, and rigid leaves. In exposed situations, at great elevations, 

 or at high northern latitudes. 



b. G. ccespitosa, Sm. (vulgaris, Fries., Goodenovii, Gay). Usually 1 to 3 

 feet high, loosely tufted, with narrow leaves, including many inter- 

 mediate forms passing gradually into the preceding and following 

 varieties. Abundant throughout Britain. 



c. C. stricta, Good. Usually about 2 feet high, more glaucous and 

 tufted than the last variety, with narrow leaves, rather long spikelets, 

 the fruits more distinctly arranged in 8 or 9 rows, and their nerves 

 more strongly marked. Equally common with the last variety, but 

 usually in more open situations. 



d. 0. aquatilis, Wahl. A very tall, leafy form, with slender spikelets, 

 approaching 0. acuta. In bogs and marshes in Scotland, rare. 



[e. G. trinervis, Degl. A short, stout plant, with narrow rigid leaves, the 

 margins of which are involute. Confined to the shores of N. W. Europe, 

 and recently found in wet, sandy places on the Norfolk coast.] 



20. O. acuta, Linn. (fig. 1130). Acute G. — This may again be a mere 

 luxuriant variety of G. ccespitosa. It attains 2 or 3 feet, with long, 

 flaccid leaves, and leafy bracts ; the female spikelets are often 3 inches 

 long or more ; the glumes all narrow and acute, and the fruits them- 

 selves narrower than in most varieties of C. ccespitosa. 



In wet meadows, and marshes, generally distributed over the area of 

 G. ccespitosa, and not uncommon in Britain. FL spring and early 

 summer. 



21. C. alpina, Sw. (fig. 1131). Alpine G. — A rather slender species, 

 5 inches to a foot high, tufted or shortly creeping, with short leaves. 

 Spikelets about 3, ovoid, black or dark brown ; the terminal one mixed, 

 hairy, a few male flowers at its base ; the 2 others female, one close to 

 the terminal one, the other a little lower down, on a short stalk, in the 

 axil of a leafy bract. Styles 3-cleft. Fruit green, obtusely triangular, 

 shortly beaked, and projecting beyond the glume. 0. Vahlii, Schk. 



On mountain-rocks, in northern Europe and Asia. In Britain only 

 in two localities on the Clova mountains of Scotland. Fl. summer. 



22. 0. Buxbaumii, Wahlenb. (fig. 1132). Buxbaum's G. — Kootstock 

 shortly creeping, but the stems often densely tufted, 1 to 2 feet high, 

 with rather long leaves. Spikelets usually 3, in a loose spike, the 

 terminal one male at the base, the others all female and sessile, or the 

 lowest on a very short stalk. Lowest bract, and sometimes the next 

 also, leafy. Glumes dark brown, mostly pointed. Styles 3-cleft. 

 Fruits of a pale colour, much resembling those of G. ccespitosa, usually 

 as long as or longer than the glumes, rather obtusely angled, and not 

 beaked. 



In bogs, in northern and Arctic Europe, Asia, and North America, 

 in the mountains of central Europe, and in Australia. In British Islands 

 only known from Lough Neagh, in Ireland. Fl. July. 



23. C. atrata, Linn. (fig. 1133). Black G. — Stems loosely tufted. 

 J to \\ feet high ; the leaves broad and flaccid, with loose sheaths. 

 Spikelets 3 or 4, black or dark brown, cylindrical, 8 or 9 lines long ; 



