916 



THE SEDGE FAMILY. 



In marshes and bogs, throughout Europe and Russian Asia, except 

 the extreme north, and in North America. Generally distributed 

 over Britain. Fl. early summer. It varies much in the degree of de- 

 velopment of the inflorescence, as well as in the nerves or ribs of the 

 fruit. A small variety, distinguished under the name of C. teretius- 

 cula (Eng. Bot. t. 1065), has the panicle almost contracted into a spike 

 of about an inch, but much more slender than in the fox C, and the 

 fruit, although the longitudinal ribs are scarcely prominent, is very 

 convex, not flattened as in the latter species. This variety is also con- 

 nected with the more common state of the panicled C. by numerous 

 intermediate forms, often considered as an intermediate species under 

 the name of C. paradoxa (Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2896.) 



13. Fox Carex. Carex vulpina, Linn. (Fig. 1105.) 

 (Eng. Bot, t, 307.) 



A stout, tufted plant, 2 to 3 or even 4 

 feet high, with rather broad but not very 

 long leaves, ending in a fine point, and 

 a sharply-triangular stem, with broader 

 life / X s ^es than in the panicled C. Spikelets 



numerous, green or pale-brown, densely 

 crowded into a terminal spike of 1 to 2 

 inches, always more or less compound 

 and interrupted at the base, but the 

 branches never elongated. The outer 

 bracts of the lower clusters of spikelets 

 have a fine leafy point. The individual 

 spikelets are ovoid, many-flowered, all 

 male at the top. Styles 2-cleft. Eruits 

 much flattened, spreading when ripe, 

 with a green or pale-brown rather broad 

 beak. 



In marshes and wet meadows, through- 

 out Europe and Russian Asia, except 

 the extreme north, and in North Ame- 

 rica. Erequent in England and Ireland, more scarce and chiefly a 

 coast plant in Scotland. Fl. early summer. 



Fig. 1105. 



14. Prickly Carex. Carex muricata, Linn. (Fig. 1106.) 



(Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 1097.) 

 A much smaller plant than the two last, seldom attaining a foot 



