Carex. | LXXXVIII, CYPERACES. 491 
than the stem. Spikelets 3 or 4, at some distance from each other (except 
sometimes the two 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 spikelet, and a 
small portion of the base of the two others. Styles 2-cleft. Fruits about 
2 ca long, and edges slightly rough. C. echinata, Murray (the earliest 
name). | 
In marshy places, especially in mountain districts, in Europe and Rus- 
sian 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. (1116). Whitish Carex.—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, 
ofa 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. C. 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 the name of C. alpicola, 
Wahlb. (C. vitilis, Fries., or C. Persoonii, Sieb.). 
10, ©. remota, Linn. (fig. 1117). Remote Carex.— Distinguished from 
all other British species, with mixed spikelets male at the base, by the 
small pale spikelets at considerable distances from each other, the outer 
bracts of the 3 or 4 lower ones always very long and leaf-like. Stems 
slender, a foot high or more. Spikelets smaller than in C. canescens. 
Fruits tapering into a point, but not so long asin C. elongata. The ter- 
minal spikelet has male flowers in the lower half, the others only a few at 
the base, and the lowest is often entirely female. 
In woods, and moist, shady places, generally dispersed over Europe and 
central and Russian Asia, except the extreme north, and North America. 
Frequent in England and Ireland, less so in Scotland, £7. early summer, 
11, ©. axillaris, Gooden. (fig. 1118). Awillary Carex.—A rather tall 
species, with leafy stems often 2 feet high, allied on the one hand to 
C. remota, but the spikelets are not so distant, and the lowest is either 
branched, or there are 2 or 3 together, either sessile or very shortly stalked, 
and only one or two of the lower bracts are Jeaf-like. On the other hand, 
the clustered lower spikelets show an approach to C. paniculata, and, as 
in that species, there are a few male flowers at the top of the terminal 
spikelets; but the inflorescence is much more slender, the spikelets much 
more distant, and there are usually a few male flowers at the base of most 
of them. From the remote-flowered forms of C. muricata it differs in the 
longer spikelets, the much more leafy lower bract, and the fruit flatter, 
with very acute edges. 
Generally distributed over Europe and Russian Asia, except the extreme 
north, but not very common. Very local in England and Ireland, and not 
known in Scotland. 7. early summer. [C. axillaris is supposed to be a 
