4 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
Intis. Bracteee inferiores culmo multum longiores, vaginatse : 
superiores setacese, spicis suis breviores. Spicce snperiores 
5-7, simplices, sessiles: inferiores 3-5, compositse, inserte vel 
exserte pedunculatse: infima rarius simplex. Spiculce insequales, 
6 lin. ad 2 poll, longae, 2-3 lin. latte, apice subdimidiatim 
masculse. Squama dorso scabrse, conformes. Perigynium l- 3 „- 
lin. longam, -y 0 lin. latum. Achenium t g ,t lin. longum, 1 lin. 
latum, orbiculato-triquetrum, stipitatum, basi styli obliqua 
apiculatum. 
I first saw specimens of G. spiculata in the herbarium of my 
late esteemed friend, Dr. Charles Lemann, gathered by Mr. Griffith 
on the mountains of Kbasia, which I described in vol. xx. of the 
Transactions of the Linnean Society, and which are figured in 
t. 7. In 1851, Sir W. J. Hooker sent me a Garex, gathered in 
Assam by Major Jenkins, which I named in his Herbarium C. 
composite. Dr. Hooker has since brought from the East Indies 
specimens of both plants, and those which I have referred to a 
variety of 0. spiculata, with the lower spikes compound, certainly 
approximate in inflorescence to C. composite,; but as I find in that 
variety the perigynia are always strongly nerved, the scales pale, 
lanceolate, and narrower than the perigynium, and the achenium 
elliptic and more finely pitted than in O. composite, I am inclined 
to consider them distinct from that species. The form of the peri¬ 
gynium of C. composite varies: it is shorter than that of C. spicu¬ 
lata, less attemuate at base, at first compressed, orbicular, oval, or 
obovate, abruptly rostrate, with two prominent marginal nerves 
only, and its subtriquetrous form is dependent on the maturation 
of the achenium, which laterally it does not invest so closely as 
the perigynium of G. spiculata does its achenium. The more or 
less distinct nervation is only observable upon a few perigynia in 
the Khasia specimens. 
9. C. nobilis (Boott); spica elongata, e spicis partialibus 
sub-12 decomposita, superioribus 4 simplicibus sessi¬ 
libus contiguis, reliquis deorsum magis magisque com- 
positis quarum superioribus 3-4 spiculiferis sessilibus 
evaginatis, inferioribus subremotis exserte pedunculatis 
longissime bracteatis elongatis (ambitu lanceolato) e spi- 
culis 8-12 surumis vel omnibus simplicibus vel infimis 
binis terms quinatisve compositis; spiculis erectis crassis 
densifloris sessilibus omnibus apice masculis insequalibus 
olivaceis vel pallide ferrugineis; stigmatibus 3 ; perigy- 
niis acute triquetris ellipticis basi spongiosis demum 
attenuatis rostratis rostro recto acute bifidis superne sca- 
briusculis margineque ciliato-serratis nervatis pallidis 
erectis, squama lanceolata acuta breve hispido-aristata 
pallida vel pallide ferruginea apice marginibus liyalino- 
albida dorso scabriuscula brevioribus vel earn sequantibus. 
(Tab. IX.) 
Hab. In regionibus subtropicis Mont. Khasite, alt. 
4-5000 ped., Hooker et Thomson. 
Culmus 3-pedalis, validus, inter spicas gracilis, scabriusculus; 
pars spicas gerens 15-20 poll, longa. Folia 5 lin. lata, culmo 
longiora. Bractea infima 4 lin. lata, inferiores culmo longiores : 
superiores angustse : summse squamseformes. Spica partiales 
inferiores composite, 3-5 poll, longse, 8 lin. latse. Spiculce 
8 lin. ad 2 poll, longse, basi 3 lin. latse; pars staminifera 2-8 
lin. longa. Perigynium 1-fU— H lin. longum, lin. latum, 
nervis concoloribus, ssepe superne evanidis. Achenium lAr lin. 
longum, lin. latum, oblongo-obovatum, stipitatum, fuscum, 
punctulatum, angulis obtusis concoloribus faciebus concavius- 
culis basi styli persistente apiculatum. 
Yar. /3; spica supradecomposita, spiculis plurimis brevio¬ 
ribus hie illic omnino masculis vel sterilibus; perigyniis gla- 
brioribus, rostro recurvo, laciniis minus acutis, apice ferrugi¬ 
neis vel ferrugineo-maculatis divaricatis; squamis latioribus, 
achenio breviori, angulis pallidis. (Tab. X.) 
Yar. 7 ; spica plus plusque supradecomposita, spicis partia¬ 
libus inferioribus ramosis, spiculis innumerabilibus omnibus 
apice masculis; perigyniis scabris pallidis, vel apice ferrugi¬ 
neis vel ferrugineo-maculatis, rectis vel recurvis; squamis ob¬ 
tusis dorso scabris longe hispido-aristatis.— Folia latiora. 
(Tab. XI.) 
I was, on the first examination of Dr. Hooker’s fine collection 
of Carices from his journey to the East Indies, inclined to consider 
the varieties /3 and y as a distinct species, and specimens may have 
been distributed by him under the name of C. pandata, but on a 
closer examination I can see nothing to justify it. The apparent 
distinction in the form of the perigynium in Tab. XI. is the result 
of age, from the spongy part eventually contracting and giving 
an attenuate form to the base of the perigynium. I can place no 
reliance on the scales, either as to form or the length of the arista. 
The specimen from which the loiver partial spike is figured in Tab. 
XI. was much more compound than the others, a difference always 
remarkable in the panicled Garices of the East, dependent on 
luxuriance of growth, either from soil, or locality, or perhaps the 
age of the plant, the older root being more vigorous and profuse 
in its developments than younger seedling plants. 
G. nobilis is very closely related to G. myosurus, a species how¬ 
ever which maintains its gracile character in the wide range over 
which it is diffused, from the peninsula of India, where it has 
been found at Courtallum, on the Pulney Mountains, and the Nil- 
ghiries by Dr. Wight, to the mountains of Nipal, Khasia, Simla, 
and the Sikkim-Himalaya, whence it has been brought by Dr. 
Wallich, Mr. Griffith, Mr. Edgeworth, and Dr. Hooker. It was 
found also by Dr. Royle at Moossoree. The affinity is so close 
that it is difficult to find any distinguishing character beyond the 
more gracile curved form of the spicuhe, the looser cernuous inflo¬ 
rescence, and the quadrifarious arrangement of the perigynia in 
G. myosurus. 
10. C. polycephala (Boott); spica pallide straminea 
concolori, e spiculis plurimis inaequalibus oblongis andro- 
gynis apice parce masculis fasciculatis decomposita; fas- 
ciculis 4-5, superioribus plerumque simplicibus contiguis, 
inferioribus e pedunculis monostachyis aliisque superne 
fasciculatis vaginulatis bracteolatis simplicibus vel race- 
mosis insequaliter longe exserte pedunculatis foliaceo- 
bracteatis compositis; stigmatibus 3; perigyniis trique¬ 
tris ovalibus longe subulato-rostratis ore membranaceo 
bilobo demum fisso nervatis oblique divergentibus, squama 
lanceolata acuminata acuta pallida angustioribus brevio¬ 
ribus vel aequantibus. (Tab. XII.) 
Hab. In Himalaya orientali ad Sikkim, alt. 10,000 
ped., in graminosis, J. D. Hooker. 
Culmus sesquipedalis, validus, lsevis, basi foliis vestientibus 
tectus; pars spicas gerens pedalis. Folia 4-5 lin. lata, rigida, 
culmo longiora. Bradece culmo longiores : infima 4 lin. lata, 
vaginata : summse setacese. Vagina infima 1 \ poll, longa. Pe- 
dunculi insequales, graciles. Pedicelli setacei. Fasciculi su- 
premi e spiculis simplicibus exserte pedunculatis: reliqui e 
spiculis simplicibus pedunculisque superne ramosis, 2-8 spi¬ 
culiferis compositi; infimus, inter alios, uno pedunculo longiore 
fasciculato bracteolato instructus. Spiculce insequales, 1-1 poll, 
longse, 3-4 lin. latse, omnes apice parce masculse, pallide stra- 
minese, concolores, laxse. Squamce omnes conformes. Perigy¬ 
nium 1-^-2-, ~ (J lin. longum, ArH bn. latum, olivaceum, rostro 
prselongo lsevi pallido. Achenium lin. longum, T 4 (7 lin. 
latum, triquetrum, ovale, fusco-olivaceum, punctulatum, basi 
styli obliqua apiculatum stipitatum. 
11. €. pulclira (Boott); spica castanea, e spiculis plu¬ 
rimis inaequalibus cylindricis gracilibus laxifloris erectis 
fasciculatis decomposita; fasciculis 4-6, superioribus ap- 
proximatis inserte inferioribus exserte pedunculatis brae- 
