Carex Ventricosa. Turgid Carex, 
CAREX. Linn. Gen, Pl. Monoecia Triandria. 
Mafc. Amentum imbricatum. CaL monophyllus, Cor . 0. 
Fem. Amentum imbricatum. CaL monophyllus. Cor. o. NeElarium inflatum 
tridentatum. Stigmata tria. Sem. triquetrum intra ne&arium. 
Raii Syn.Gen. 28. Herb,® GRAMiNiFOLiiE non culmifer^; flore imperfecto seu 
STAMINEO. 
CAREX •ventricofa, fpicis pedunculatis ere&is, mafcula folitaria, femineis remotis paucifloris, capfulis 
turgidis roftratis. 
CYPEROIDES nemorofum, caule exquifite triangulari, fpicis parvis ftrigofis, inter fe diftantibus, 
fquamis latis, derepente in ariftam longiiifculam attenuatis, capfulis rarius difpofitis 
turbinatis gibbis trilateris cum roftrulo adunco. Michel. Nov , Gen. p. 61. tab. 32. 
5 * 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa. 
CULMUS pedalis ad fefquipcdalem, ere£lus, foliofus, 
tnqueter. 
FOLIA patulo-ere&a, lineas duas lata, carinata, Isevia, 
margine afpera, bafi vaginantia, fub floref- 
centia culmo longiora. . 
Flos Masculus. 
SPICA terminalis, folitaria, fubuncialis, ere£la, multi- 
flora, ebra&eata, fubfufca. 
CALYX: Squama fubovata, acuminata, dorfo viridi, 
lateribus ex albo et fufco variegatis, jig. 1. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria, calyce lon- 
giora. An ther^e longse, lineares, Jig. 2. 
Flos Femineus. 
SPICAE plerumque tres, remotiufculas, fpica mafcula 
dimidio breviores, oblongo-ovatas, fubquadri- 
floree, pedunculatie, bracteatas. Pedunculi 
comprelfi, fuperne incralfati. Bracteae fo- 
liis fimiles, culmum fuperantes. 
CALYX : Squama lanceolata, acuta, dorfo viridi, 
lateribus albis nitentibus, Jig. 3. 
NECTARIUM oblongum, extus convexum, intus conca- 
vum, roftratum, piftillum arfte cingens, Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen obovatum intra neftarium, 
Jig. 5. Stylus germine duplo longior, Jig. 6 . 
Stigmata tria, patentia villofa, jig. j. 
PERICARPIUM: Capsula triquetro-gibba, turgida, 
ftriata, utrinque acuta, roftro apice membra- 
naceo, Jig. 8. 
SEMINA folitaria, magna, hinc convexa, inde planiuf- 
cula, Jig. g. intra neftarium. 
My much-valued friend, the Rev. Dr. GoodEnough of Ealing, has the merit of difcovering the Carex here 
figured; we were herbarizing together, in company with the Rev. Dr. Whitfield, in a fmall wood at the back 
of Charlton Church, when a fingle plant of it firft caught his eye, and on further fearch we found it in one part 
of the wood in abundance; Mr. Dickson informs me that he has obferved the fame fpecies growing wild near 
Godaiming, Surrey; and we are informed that it has alfo been found by Mr. Sole, of Bath. 
The late Rev. Mr. Lightfoot, who had feen it growing With me, was pleafed to call it depauperata , from 
the paucity of its flowers, a name in which we fometime acquiefced ; but, on maturer confederation, we think 
the name we have now given it more expreflive of its principal charafter. 
It affe&s the fame fituation as the fylvatica, to which, in its foliage, it bears fome little refemblance ? but when 
it comes to Ihew its feed-velfels it cannot eafily be miftaken for any other Britifh Carex. 
It flowers about the latter end of May, but is moft confpicuous towards the middle of June, when its feed- 
velfels are advanced. 
ROOT perennial and fibrous. 
STALK from a foot to a foot and a half high, upright, 
leafy, and three-cornered. 
LEAVES upright, fomewhat fpreading, two lines wide, 
keeled, fmooth, rough on the edge, Iheathing 
at the bafe, higher than the {talk, when the 
plant flowers. 
Male Flower. 
SPIKE terminal, folitary, about an inch long, upright, 
many-flowered, without a braftea, brownifh. 
CALYX : Scale fomewhat ovate, acuminated, green 
at the back, the fides variegated with white 
and brown, Jig. 1. 
STAMINA: three Filaments, capillary, longer than 
the calyx. Anthers long, linear, Jig. 2. 
Female Flower. 
SPIKES moftly three, remote, half the length of the 
male one, oblongo-ovate, moftly four-flowered, 
ftanding on flower-ftalks, and furnifhed with 
bra&eae. Flower - Stalks comprelfed, 
thickened above. Bractea refembling the 
leaves, higher than the ftalk. 
CALYX: Scale lanceolate, acute, green at the back, 
the fides white, filming, Jig. 3. 
NECTARY : oblong, the outfide convex, the infide con- 
cave, clofely furrounding the piftillum. Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen obovate, within the ne&ary, 
fig. 5. Style double the length of the ger- 
men, fig. 6 . Stigmata three, fpreading, 
villous, fig. 7. 
PERICARPIUM : a Capsule three-cornered, gibbous, 
ftriated, turgid, pointed at both ends, with a 
beak membranaceous at the point, fig. 8. 
SEEDS fingle, large, convex on one fide, flattilh on 
the other, fig . g. within the ne£iary. 
A 
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