CYPERACE^. 



929 



North America. Generally diffused over 

 Britain. FL spring and summer. It 

 varies much in the distance of the lower 

 spikelets from the upper ones, and in the 

 size of the fruits ; but the small-fruited 

 forms with short beaks, often distin- 

 guished under the name of C. (Ecleri, 

 are very inconstant in their characters. 



Fig. 1126. 



35. Distant Carex. Carex distans, Linn. (Fig. 1127.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1234.) 



Stems more or less tufted, slender, 1 

 to 2 feet high, with flat but rather nar- 

 row leaves, much shorter than the stem. 

 Spikelets few and far apart ; the termi- 

 nal one male (sometimes with a small 

 one close under it), the others female, 

 oblong-cylindrical, \ to 1 inch long, 

 stalked, but often appearing sessile from 

 the stalks being enclosed in the long 

 sheaths of the leafy bracts. Glumes 

 brown. Styles 3-cleft. Fruits usually 

 rather dark-green, but sometimes yel- 

 lowish, erect, rather strongly nerved or 

 ribbed, tapering into a rather long beak. 



In marshes and wet moors, or some- 

 times in dryer pastures, especially near 

 the sea, in Europe and w T estern Asia, 

 from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, 

 and in North America, although not an 

 Arctic plant. Common in Britain. FL 



summer. It varies much in the length of the stalks of the lower 

 spikelets and in the prominence of the ribs of the fruit. The following 

 are the principal varieties, which are often considered as species : — 



Fig. 1127. 



