ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
125 
dentibus plus minus setaceo-bracteatis; stigmatibus 2 
perigyniis ovatis sensim acuminato-rostratis compressis 
membranaceis vel suborbiculatis abrupte brevius ros- 
tratis plano-convexis bificlis lateribus deinum spongiosis, 
marginibus superne acutis serratis antice medio 8-4 
leviter nervatis, postice enerviis, arete imbricatis demum 
divergentibus, squama ovata acuta vel obtusa pallide fer- 
ruginea nervo viridi cuspidata latioribus (cuspide) bre- 
vioribus vel subsequantibus.—C. vulpinoidea, Mich. ii. 
169; Gay, Ann . /Sc. Nat. tome x. 356. 2 nd ser. 1838; 
Carey, l.c. 512 ; Darlington, l. c. 345; Sartwell, Doc's, n. 
16; Chap. 533. C. microsperma, Wahl. Act. Holm. 
144 (FI. Lap. 250). C. multiflora, Muhl. 222 ; Willd. 
243 ; SchJc.f. 144 ; Kunth, 387 ; Elliot , 530 ; Schw. et 
Tor. 306 ; Tor. Mon. 390 ; Deivey, ix. 60, et xi. 316. 
C. polymorpha, Schw. Ann. Tab. C. bracteosa, Set no. 
Ann. Tab. (“ quam nusquam inveni,” Kunth). C. Muh- 
lenbergii, Kunth, 381 {descript, ejus), non Schh. C. se- 
tacea, Deioey, ix. 61 ; Tor. et Schw. 307 ; Tor. Mon. 
390. C. scabrior, Sartwell, Exs. n. 72; Dewey, vi. (2 
ser.) 349. C. vulpinseformis, Tuclc. En. 9. (Tab. 
CCCCIV.-CCCCIX.) 
Hab. In America septentrionali et meridionali, et re- 
gione Caucasica ! Arctic America, Richardson. Texas, 
Drummond. Louisiana, Hale. Paramo de Cuchero, New 
Granada, Pur die, Herb. Hooker. Caucasus, Fischer. 
“ C. nemorosa” (Herb. Boott). 
Culmus 1-2^-pedalis, triqueter, plus minus validus, scaber, 
inferne foliatus. Folia |-2 lin. lata, plerumque culmo lon- 
giora, firma. Vaginas intus membranacese, demum transverse 
corrugatse, saepe punctis resinosis ferrugineis conspersse. Brac- 
teas plerumque setaceae, admodum variabiles: infima quando- 
que subpedalis, inferiores saepe elongatse, vel omnes abbreviate 
vel inconspieuae. Spica |-3 etiam 5^ poll, longa, 3 vel basi 
6-10 lin. lata, coarctata, vel basi ramis ovatis lobatis vel ob- 
longis sessilibus magis compositis distinctis interrupta. Spi- 
cula ovatae, dense aggregatae, apice parce masculae, densiflorae. 
Squamae conformes, acutae vel obtusissimae : masculae brevius 
cuspidate : fceminee- plus minus cuspidate, rarius cuspide 
perigynium subaequante vel eo breviore. Perigynium l-f-o— tV 
lin. longum, tV-Ito lin. latum : immaturum pallidum, mem- 
branaceum : maturum aurantiacum, demum, praecipue ad latera, 
spongiosum, achenio duplo vel triplo latius, quandoque ener- 
vium, plerumque antice medio 3-4 leviter nervatum, postice 
enerve, rarius 2-3-nervatum, rostro plus minus longo. In 
speciminibus e Louisiana et Texas perigynium latius (1 t l lin. 
latum) utrinque nervatum, fusco-ferrugineum, punctis resi¬ 
nosis conspersum. Achenium T 7 7l bn. longum, -A. lin. latum, 
subrotundum, basi productum, abrupte apiculatum, basi styli 
clavata vel bulboso-incrassata, ferruginea. 
This species, which is very common in the United States, ex¬ 
tending from the British possessions to Texas, varies exceedingly 
in all its parts, but so insensibly that I know not how any one 
form, unless arbitrarily, can be distinguished even as a variety. 
The apparent distinction is in the size of the spike, the presence 
of several long, or the absence of, bracts, the length of the cuspis 
of the scales, and the form and texture of the perigynium. This 
variation in the perigynium is certainly very striking, depending 
on its form, the length and more or less abruptness of the rostrum, 
and the membranous or almost subcoriaceous character of its sub¬ 
stance. I think the substance and the form in some degree de¬ 
pend on the deposition of spongy matter, as it ripens, especially 
at the sides, but also throughout the whole body of the peri¬ 
gynium. It is owing to this deposition that the early ovate shape 
becomes more subrotund, and changes from a compressed to a dis¬ 
tinctly plano-convex form, and the rostrum, which on one and the 
same specimen varies in length, ultimately from the lateral dis¬ 
tention of the body of the perigynium, becomes more abrupt. 
This deposition however of spongy matter would seem to be 
greater in some specimens than others, and the perigynia, where 
it is less, to preserve more of the membranous texture even to 
maturity. The O. setacea, Dewey, and O, scabrior, which are un- 
distinguishable, were founded on immature specimens. No de¬ 
pendence can be placed on the degree of roughness either on the 
margins of the perigynium or of the culm, on the length of the bracts, 
or scales, or rostrum. The figure of Sehk. was taken from too young 
a specimen, and Wahlenberg must have had as young a one, as his 
name of C. microsperma would imply. He refers his plant to 
Schkuhr’s figure and makes C. cephalophora a variety of it. What 
Dewey means by his var. microsperma I know not, for neither his 
specimens nor his description differ from his specimens of C. mul- 
tijlora, all in a young state. I observe in many specimens small 
resinous spots on the membranous portion of the foliaceous va¬ 
ginae : and these occur even on the perigynia of the specimens 
from Louisiana and Texas. This last character I have not noticed 
in the more northern plant. In Tab. CCOCY. I have figured the 
spike of the specimen from the Caucasus, sent to me several years 
ago by the late M. Fischer of Moscow, under the name of G. ne¬ 
morosa, W. Mr. Purdie has found this species in New Granada. 
Gay (Ann. Sc. Nat. x. 356 ; 1838), remarks,—“Non G. MuJilen- 
bergii nec G. vulpinoidea, Kunthio satis cognita fuisse videtur, qui 
Caricem, nomine vulpinoidece, a Jacquemontio acceptam ad G. Muh- 
lenbergii retulit. Que vulpinoidea (inscripta in Herb. Jacquemont) 
reapse ad G. vulpinoideam veravi pertinet.” 
The specimens figured are,— 
Tab. CCCCIY. No. 1. From Massachusetts, from Mr. Lowell, 
No. 2, a spike from Dewey. No. 3, one from Barratt; his “var. 
glomerata( from Middletown Meadows, Connecticut. 
Tab. CCCCY. No. 1 . Specimens from Ohio, Sullivant, with the 
vaginas transversely corrugate, as is often the case. No. 2. A 
spike from the “ G. nemorosa ,” Fischer, from the Caucasus. 
Tab. CCCCYI. Specimens from Connecticut, the “var. am- 
bigua ,” Barratt, the perigynia differing in form, occasionally orbi¬ 
cular, with a short rostrum, like those from Texas and Louisiana, 
but without resinous spots. 
Tab. CCCCYII. Specimens from Arctic America, Richardson, 
the perigynia with a cordate base. 
Tab. CCCCVIII. Specimens of Sartwell’s Exs. n. 72, “ G. sca¬ 
brior, ” the vaginse occasionally spotted. No. 2 . Perigynia and 
squamae of “ G. setacea ,” Dewey. 
Tab. CCCCIX. Specimens from Ohio, Sullivant, his “ C. se¬ 
tacea l” No. 2. Perigynia and achenium of specimens from Texas, 
Drummond; the form “ platycarpa brevirostris ” of Gay, Ann. Sc. 
Nat. (1838) p. 357. 
290. C, disticha (Hudson); spica oblonga vel sub- 
elongata pallide vel fusco-ferruginea, e spiculis pluribus 
polygamis contiguis vel inferioribus discretis, extremis 
plerumque subfoemineis apice masculis, intermediis sub- 
masculis, vel rarius inferioribus vel omnibus foemineis 
vel apice masculis; bracteis squameeformibus cuspidatis, 
infima saepe elongata; stigmatibus 2 ; perigyniis ovatis 
vel ovalibus plus minus rostratis, ore antice secto demum 
bificlo piano, convexis utrinque nervatis marginibus su¬ 
perne acutis vel anguste alatis scabris stipitatis membra¬ 
naceis, squama ovata acuta ferruginea margine hyalina 
longioribus.—C. disticha, Ihuds. ; Koch, 865 ; Ander¬ 
son, 60. t. 3. f. 15 ; Lang, 31 ; Sartwell, Exs. n. 71. 
C. intermedia, Good. Lin. Trs. ii. 154; Willd. 244; 
Kunth, 376; Schh. f. 7; FI. Brit. 972; Eng. Dot. t. 
2042; Wald. Act. 144; Reichenb. t. 210; Ledebour, 
210; Dewey, Sill. iv. 343 (1847); FI. Ross. 273. C. 
2 L 
