566 
CXII. CYPEBACEiE 
perennial herb ; stems 2-10 in., erect. Leaves shorter than the 
stem, very narrow, all basal. Glumes | in., in a single terminal, 
very slender spike, j-H in. long ; upper ones containing male 
flowers, the lower a spikelet of one female and one male or a 
female only. Bristles none. Stamens 1-3. Style 3-branched. 
Nut narrowly oblong, partially enclosed in the persistent glume ; 
beak long, protruding, often ultimately recurved. 
Fagoo. — N.W. Himalaya, 8000-10,000 ft. 
12. CAREX. From the Greek keiro, to cut ; the leaves of 
many species having sharp, saw-like edges. — A genus of about 
1 ,400 species inhabiting nearly all regions. 
Herbs, mostly perennial, usually glabrous except the utricles ; 
stems tufted, erect or nearly so, more or less angular. Leaves 
usually crowded at the base of the stem. Bracts long or short. 
Spikelets short, usually several combined in a terminal spike, if in 
more than one spike the lower ones stalked and often distant 
forming an interrupted spike or sometimes a loose or dense 
panicle ; both spikelets and spikes may consist wholly of male or 
wholly of female flowers or partially of both. Glumes imbricate 
all round the axis, the mid-rib frequently projecting as a bristle- 
like point. Flowers 1 -sexual, male and female always in separate 
glumes. Male flowers : stamens 3, rarely fewer. Female flowers : 
ovary enclosed in a bag-like bract or utricle with an opening in its 
contracted top through which the 2- or 3-branched style protrudes. 
Nut flattened or 3-sided, enclosed within the persistent utricle. 
Style 2 -branched. Nut flattened. 
Spikes ovoid, ^ in. long, sessile. 
Utricle winged on the upper half . . . . 5. C. Rochebruni. 
Utricle not winged. 
Nerves of utricle many, prominent . . . 1 . G. nubigena. 
Nerves of utricle none or few and obscure . 2. O. foliosa. 
Spikes linear, 1-2 in. long, stalked. 
Beak of utricle much shorter than the body. Glume 
ovate . . . . . . . 3. C. brunnea. 
Beak of utricle about as long as the body. Glume 
lanceolate, long-pointed . . . . 4. O. longicruris. 
Style 3-branched. Nut 3 -sided. 
Spikes numerous, in a large panicle, the uppermost 
ones male at the top. 
Spikes oblong, crowded. . . . . . 6. C. condensata. 
Spikes linear, distant . . . . . .1.0. meiogyna. 
Spikes 2-8. 
Uppermost spike female at the top, male at the 
base, rarely wholly male . . . . 8. C. psycrophila. 
Uppermost spike wholly male. 
Leaves linear. 
Margins of female glumes brown or chestnut. 
Mid-rib of glume prolonged. 
Tip of glume acute . . . . 9. C. setigera. 
Tip of glume notched or truncate , , 11. C. ccirdiolepis. 
