CYPEEACB«. 



917 



in height, with rather narrow leaves 

 shorter than the stem. Spikelets 

 about 6, rather short, brown or shining 

 green, all mixed, having few male flowers 

 at the top of each, either all simple and 

 crowded in a terminal spike of about an 

 inch, or the lower ones rather more dis- 

 tant and sometimes slightly compound. 

 Outer bracts mostly terminating in 

 short, fine points. Styles usually 2- 

 cleft. Fruits rather large, 2 lines long 

 when ripe, pointed and spreading as in 

 the star-headed C. 



In marshy and gravelly pastures, 

 throughout Europe and Russian Asia, 

 except the extreme north. I^"ot uncom- 

 mon in England, Ireland, and southern 

 Scotland. Fl. early summer. 



The grey C. (C. divulsa, Eng. Bot. 

 t. 629) appears to be a mere variety of this species, growing in less 

 open situations, with longer stems and leaves, and paler, more distant 

 spikelets, forming an interrupted spike of 2 or 3 inches ; the lowest spike- 

 let occasionally compound, with a rather long, leafy outer bract. It is 

 then distinguished from the elongated S. by the shorter nearly glo- 

 bular spikelets without any male flowers at the base, and the fruits 

 much less flattened. 



Fig. 1106. 



15. Sand Carex. Carex arenaria, Linn. (Fig. 1107.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 928.) 



Hootstock creeping in the sand often to the length of many feet, emit- 

 ting small tufts or single stems from a few inches to 1 or 1J feet in 

 height and leafy at the base. Spikelets rather large, ovoid, all simple and 

 sessile, crowded 8 or 10 together in a terminal spike of 1 to 2 inches, or 

 1 or 2 lower ones occasionally more distant. Outer bracts all glume- 

 like, or the lowest with leafy points. Male flowers often numerous 

 in the upper, and especially in the intermediate spikes, very few at 

 the top of the lowest. Fruits much flattened, tapering into a beak, 

 and winged as in the oval C, from which this species differs in the 

 creeping rootstock and in the male flowers at the top, not at the base 

 of the spikelets. 



In maritime sands, on the coasts of Europe, western Asia, and North 

 America. Abundant all round Britain. FL all summer. 



