ILLUSTRATIONS OP THE GENUS CAREX. 
115 
its varieties the angle of the achenium is posterior, and hence 
Koch describes the peri'gynia as “ dorso obtuse carinata.” 
Spicis 3-5 ovalibus fuliginosis quasi capitatis, terminali basi 
rarius omnino mascula, reliquis plerumque foemineis, superioribus 
vel omnibus sessilibus; bractea ssepe spicam superante; stigma- 
tibus 3, rarius 2 ; perigyniis ovalibus vel obovatis vel ellipticis 
brevissime vel vix rostellatis, ore emarginato, granulato-asperulis 
sanguineo- demum atro-purpureis basi marginibusque superne pal- 
lidis stepe dentatis subinde obscure nervatis, squama ovata obtu- 
siuscula vel abrupte apiculata atro-purpurea nervo rarius extra 
apicem producto paulo longioribus. 
Culmus 4-8-pollicaris, lsevis. Folia 1-2 lin. lata. Perigynmm 
If lin. longum, T A lin. latum, vel 1 T V lin. longum, H lin. latum. 
Achenium ^ n - longum, xV“to~ lin. latum, inasqualiter trique¬ 
trum, vel lenticulare. (Tab. CCCLXIII.) G. atrata {nigra). 
This variety in its development is like the var. glacialis of the 
Himalaya, but the lanceolate squamae and acutely bifid orifice of 
the perigynium of the last are peculiar to it. Wahlenberg (El. 
Lap. 242) says of C. atrata , “ capsulse in summis alpibus fuscse 
occurrunt adeo ut de differentia G. nigra , All., adhuc dubito.” 
Tuckerman, when at TJpsala, had a specimen of G. nigra from 
Germany given to him by "Wahlenberg, and on the ticket he has 
added these words, “ niclit gut (dicente Wahlenbergio).” I ob¬ 
serve male florets occasionally at the top of the spikes, as in the 
G. distachya , Willd. 
Tab. CCCLXIII are specimens of G. nigra from the Alps of 
Germany. 
I have never seen authentic specimens of C. Gaucasica, Stevens, 
but M. Spach has sent me those cultivated in the Paris Garden 
from seeds sent from St. Petersburg, which I think are not speci¬ 
fically different from G. atrata :— 
Spicis 4-5 cylindricis vel clavatis (10 lin. longis, 2-3 lin. latis) 
erectis; perigyniis (1-^- lin. longis, T S o lin. latis) ellipticis rostel¬ 
latis, ore bidentato, tenuiter nervatis flavidis ventricosis, squama 
ovata subabrupte acuminata vel cuspidata ferrugineo-purpurea 
margine albida paulo brevioribus angustioribus ; culmo l|-pedali 
scabriusculo ; foliis lf-2 lin. latis, culmo longioribus. 
Stevens says, “ fructibus squamam longitudine sequantibus triplo 
latioribus.” In the Paris plant the squamae are longer than the 
perigynium, and-it is only the narrowing apex of them which, as 
it lies over the perigynium, gives the appearance of the perigy¬ 
nium being “ triplo latioi’ibus.” The base of the squamae is rather 
broader than the perigynium. 
The length of the leaves in G. atrata varies. I have a specimen 
from Glen Hole, Scotland :—Culmo 2-pedali; foliis 3 lin. latis, 
superioribus culmum fere asquantibus ; spiculis 5, cylindraceis, 
summa mascula vel. sterili, inferioribus 3 basi masculis eompositis, 
ramulis 2-3 foemineis remotiusculis ad basin sitis. 
In one from Russia, sent by Pischer, the spiculse are 15 lines 
long, 2|- lines wide, approaching in aspect to G. Mertensii, Pres. 
The specimens from the Himalaya vary and exhibit characters 
belonging to G. atrata, aterrima, and Gaucasica. Some from La- 
chen, from an elevation of 11,000 feet, are in no respect different 
from the European forms of G. atrata, with obtuse squamae. Others 
from the same locality, with one or all the spikes male at base, 
have lauceolate-acuminate squamae, longer or shorter and often 
narrower than the perigynium, which in a fully mature specimen 
has the dark-purple perigynium, with the very short abrupt ros- 
tellum of G. aterrima, the orifice sometimes entire, and without 
the white membranous margin generally observable. 
In Tab. CCCLXIY. I have figured specimens from Lachen and 
Yeumtung, 12-15,000 feet, from Dr. Hooker :— 
Spicis 3-5 oblongis vel cylindraceis erectis, summa vel omnibus 
ima basi masculis ; perigyniis oblongis vel ellipticis erostribus vel 
brevissimq rostellatis, ore subinde integro, atro-purpureis inter- 
dum leviter 2-3-nervatis apice ad margines nunc parce dentatis 
plus minus ventricosis, squama lanceolata. acuminata acuta brevi¬ 
oribus. 
Culmus l-|-pedalis, gracilis, scaberrimus, vel validior, lsevis. 
Spicce 10-12 lin. longse, 2-4 lin. latse, vel 3-4 subsessiles sequialtse, 
bracteis brevibus, vel 5 inferiores pedunculatse, bracteis foliaceis. 
Squamce atro-purpurese, acumine ssepe scabro. Perigynium ly^- 
^ lin. longum, x Vt 6 o lin- latum. Achenium li Q - longum, 
-jt—^ lin. latum, ovale, flavidum.— G. atrata ( pullata ). 
In Tab. CCCLXY., specimens from the Himalaya, 15-17,000 
feet, Dr. Hooker.— C. atrata (glacialis). 
Spicis 3-4 ovalibus atro-purpureis, infima pedunculata una al- 
terave basi mascula ; bracteis brevibus ; perigyniis ovalibus eros¬ 
tribus vel obovatis rostratis, ore emarginato vel subbifido (ache¬ 
nium arete vestientibus), enerviis fulvis superne ferrugineo-purpu- 
reis, squama lanceolata acuminata acuta atro-purpurea sequilata 
subduplo brevioribus ; stigmatibus 3. 
Culmus 2-8 pollices altus, lsevis. Folia 1-2 lin. lata, culmo bre- 
viora. Spicce 4-6 lin. longse, 2-|~3 lin. latse. Perigynium 1 gfe lin. 
longum, t 4 x lin. latum. Acheniwn conforme, T 6 X lin. longum, yR lin. 
latum, fulvum. 
In Tab. CCCLXII., specimens from the Rocky Mountains, like 
those of G. ovata, Rudge, from Newfoundland. In one perigynium 
were 2 achenia, each with 3 stigmas as shown in the figure. 
272. C. atropicta (Steudel); spicis 2-3 ovalibus arete 
contiguis ima basi masculis subsessilibus atro-purpureis; 
bractea evaginata amplectente culmum vix sequante; 
stigmatibus 2; perigyniis elliptico-obovatis rostellatis, 
ore emarginato scabro compressis atro-purpureis margi- 
nibus superne pallidis acutis subalatis e medio sursum 
aculeatis obscure leviter nervatis membranaceis slipitatis, 
squama ovato-lanceolata acuta vel mucronata atro-pur¬ 
purea nervo concolori scabro latioribus paulo longioribus. 
—C. atropicta, Steudel, Syn. 204. (Tab. CCCLXYI.) 
Hab. In pratis uliginosis prope Sandy Point. Puegia, 
Lechler, PI . Magellan.; Steudel, n. 1188. 
Culmus sesquipedalis, basi foliatus, superne angulis acutis- 
simis scabris. Folia 2 lin. lata, rigida, marginibus revolutis, 
culmo breviora. Spicce 7-9 lin. longse, 4-5 lin. latse, omnes 
basi parce masculse. Squamae conformes. Perigynium 2 TX — 
H lin. longum, l-l T ® ff lin. latum. Achenium (cum stipite 
5 lin. longo) It lin. longum, T 6 0 - lin. latum, ovale, lenticulare, 
punctulatum, basi styli sequali apiculatum. 
Allied to G. atrata, var. nigra ( G. nigra, All.), which has the 
upper margins of the perigynium equally pale and occasionally 
2 stigmas.—Differs in the compressed perigynium with aculeate 
margins, and the long stipes of the achenium and tall culm. 
The specimen figured was communicated by M. Spach from the 
Herb. Mus. Paris. I have since, through the kindness of M. 
Sonder, of Hamburg, received one with 3 spiculse. 
273. C. Bonplandii (Kuntlr); spiculis 8-12 basi mas¬ 
culis congestis ferrugineis vel castaneis, inferioribus plus 
minus longe bracteatis ; perigyniis ovatis vel ovato-lan- 
ceolatis sensim in rostrum attenuatis, ore integro antice 
secto, inalatis marginibus plus minus serrato-scabris ner¬ 
vatis plano-convexis, squamam ovatam subacutam aequan- 
tibus.—C. Bonplandii, Kunth, 380. C. Purdiei, Boott, 
Illustr. t. 67. (Tab. CCCLXYII.) 
Var. /3. angustifolia. —C. Tatanara, Steudel, n. 2560, 
2603. 
Hab. In America meridionals Soutli America, Bon- 
gpland. Columbia, Jameson, n. 172. Andes of Quito, 
Couthouy. Conclorasto, Escuador, in pratis alpinis, n. 
5901 a, et Tunguragua, in saxosis, n. 5901, Sjoruce (Herb. 
Hooker). Chicapayos, Peru, Matheios. — Var. /3. Tata¬ 
nara, Peru, in uliginosis, Leclder, n. 2560. Sacliapata, 
Lechler, n. 2603. 
I have, through the kindness of M. Klotsch, had the opportu¬ 
nity of examining the specimen in the Berlin Herbarium, from 
