24 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
spica.—Hab. in paludibus nbi csespitum instar turfas et fasci- 
culos grate virides maximosque constituit. Indicat solnm 
caespitosum : replet paludes, et ut felicius hoc peragat a bobus 
relinquenda. Suecis, Tufstarr.” (Lin. FI. Suec.) 
“ Ita variabilis est C. vulgaris, adeo constantissima et mono- 
typica C. ccespitosa. Non modo absolute csespitosa nec stolo- 
nifera unquam, sed innovatione centrali in altum crescens 
tumulos pulvinatos format, maxime prsecox, primo fete viridis, 
erecta, dein lutescenti-viridis; florens carta, crecta, adulta 
elongata, flaccida; foliis fasciculorum sterilium undique demuxn 
decumbentibus pnlvinata. Culmi graciles, sequales, acute tri- 
quetri, angulis scabris, aphylli, basi modo 2-3 vaginis trun- 
catis vestitij foliolis brevissimis terminatis, quo a C. vulgari 
semper dignoscitur. Folia fasciculorum sterilium vero lon- 
gissima, angusta, mollia, lgevia, margine scabrella: adulta 
supra bicanaliculata, margines vero deflexi nec unquam folia 
involvuntur, qui nisus in C. vulgari angustifolia semper con- 
spicuus. Vaginae inferiores tendunt quidem ad fibrillosam 
indolem C. strides, verum hie character adeo obscurus ut in 
definitione vix citetur. Bradece non vaginantes, eximie auri- 
culate, iniima vero tantum folio setaceo terminatur : reliquxe 
aphyllae prorsus, nervo vel excurrente vel ante apicem evanes- 
cente. Spicau omnes conferte, unicolores (nec ut in C. vulgari 
vulgo variegate) : mascula fusiformis, antheris fiavis, deflo- 
ratis fulvis : feeminese sessiles, subeylindriese, ob foliorum de¬ 
fectum nunquam spicam remotam eniti potest. Squamae lan¬ 
ceolate, carinate, foeminexe tote atrae. Stigmata longissima. 
Frudus multi abortivi et facile decidui, inordinati, gibbi, hinc 
non ut in C. vulgari, etc., adpressi, utrinque subacuti, enerves.” 
(Fries, Mant. 3.) 
“ Spicis confertis, mascula subsolitaria, foemineis oblongis 
subsessilibus ; bracteis angustissimis aphyllisque; fructibus 
subsessilibus ellipticis obtusis utrinque convexis patentibus 
enervibus, squamam sequantibus superantibusque; culmo acut- 
angulo, inferne vaginis teretibus tenuissime fibrillosis aphyllo ; 
fructifero, foliisque supra bicarinatis, flaccidis ; radice cres- 
pitosa. 
“ C. strides, Good., proxima, sed tenuior. Culmi abortivi, 
quales frequentes, stricti manent: vaginxe du;e superiores modo 
foliiferi, foliis baud marcescentibus; inferiori abbreviato. Folia 
preecipue fasciculorum sterilium, sat lata, siccitate revoluta. 
Spicae in apice culmi sessiles, congeste, squama vaginante 
vulgo tantum braeteate. Yidi tamen in paludosis formam 
raram spicis pedunculatis, pendulis, cylindricis. Frudus (C. 
strida) magis turgidi, indeque haud arete imbricati, sed con- 
densati, fere squarroso-patentes, ut in C. acuta: normaliter 
persistentes; variant subnervosi, punctulati, pruinosi, et sub- 
angulati: sed hi lusus atypici. 
“Var. retorta; spicis cylindricis laxis; fructibus oblongo- 
acutis subcompressis deciduis, squama cuspidata brevioribus; 
culmis elongatis laxissimis ad terram arcuato-deflexis; fasci- 
culis e vaginis aphyllis imbricatis ferrugineis basi triquetris.— 
In nemoribus paludosis. Spicis et fructibus ad C. stridam, 
Good., revergit: hi tamen enerves, et culmi gracillimi, tenues, 
etiam florentes laxissimi: quo a C. strida recedit.” (Fries, 
Summa. Veg. Scand.) 
“ Spicis foemineis 2-3 subsessilibus cylindricis vel subro- 
tundis ad masculam solitariam confertis densifloris; bracteis 
ssepe aphyllis auriculatis angustis; fructibus patentibus ovato- 
ellipticis, rostro minuto, apiculatis utrinque convexis enervibus, 
squamas obtusiusculas subsuperantibus ; culmo scaberrimo 
acutangulo ; vaginis teretibus tenuiter fibrillosis aphylbs ; 
foliis flaccidis supra bicarinatis. 
“Primo vere ketissime florens colore foliorum dilute viridi, 
spica mascula fulvo-brunnea, tumulisque pulvinatis, quos radix 
eximie csespitosa format, jam e longinquo ab omnibus distin- 
guitur gramen bocce. Culmi graciles, acute triquetri, primo 
curti et erecti, demum elongati, stepe deflexi (nec apice nu- 
tantes), vaginis aphyllis tenuissime fibrillosis inferne obtectus, 
quas supersedunt folia planiuscula duo brevia, quorum sum- 
mum culmi apicem sequat. Folia fasciculorum sterilium lon¬ 
gissima, angusta, mollia, margine scabra, supra bicarinata, mar- 
ginibus deflexis. Bradece auriculato-cuspidate truncateve, 
raro foliacese, spicam masculam sequantes. Spicae in apicem 
culmi congeste, sessiles, subeylindriese, forma variabiles, sxe- 
pissime crassse: fructus facile decidui, gibbi, acuti vel obtusi, 
virides, pallide flavescentes vel obscuri: squamse ovales, obtusxe, 
vel lanceolate, acute, fuse®.—Est, ut vulgatissima, maxime 
polymorpba, quum characteribus turn babitu. Forma, colore, 
directione, numero fere omnes variant partes, nec una compre- 
bendi possunt descriptione. In bac tamen formarum varia- 
tione ab affinibus semper facillime recognita, nec cuiquam nisi 
formis macris C. stridae, Good., ullo modo confundenda. Qui- 
bus rationibus bsec species cum C. vulgari, usque ad nostra 
tempora confusa, ab ea remota fuit, quse contentio fuit de no¬ 
mine, quo optime salutaretur, quae denique sunt hujus syno- 
nyma, breviter historiam stirpis omnium congenerum primus 
clare extricavit et exposuit Fries. 
“ Var. retorta; culmo laxo; spiculis cylindricis subpendulis 
distantibus; fructibus oblongo-acutis subcompressis, squamis 
fere brevioribus; vaginis triquetris.—Forma inter C. stridam, 
Good., et C. ccespitosam quasi media videtur. C. stridae con- 
gruit vaginis triquetris, fructibus glumisque. Culmo autem 
elongato, laxissimo, ad terram arcuato-deflexo, fo li i s latioribus, 
spicisque C. ccespitosce proprior.” (Anderson, Cyp. Scand.) 
Linnaeus, in bis ‘Iter Scaniae’ (June 19, 1749, p. 207), says: 
“ Here and there were some moist places which bore some grass, 
generally excavations, where in former days the people had dug 
turf. In these cavities some patches had begun to grow, as it 
were to reclose the wound of the earth, and these patches or tufts 
were exclusively of a single grass called Tuf-starr .” 
I have given the graphic descriptions of Fries and Anderson of 
this long-mistaken species and its variety, adding the original 
character of Linnaeus, as the works from which they are taken 
may not be accessible to all. Though the specimens in the Her¬ 
barium of Linnaeus are those of the true G. ccespitosa, their general 
resemblance to what is now known as G. vulgaris misled the ad¬ 
mirable Goodenough in his valuable paper on the British Carices, 
read to the Linnaean Society in 1792. Not that he had not mis¬ 
givings on the subject, for he says (Lin. Trans, ii. 196) of his 
G. ccespitosa ( G. vulgaris, Fries), “It was not till after repeated 
and careful examination of the Linnaean Herbarium that I could 
determine it; for the specimens there preserved seem chosen ones, 
and of course do not appear at first sight to bear that exact re¬ 
semblance to the general habit which is observable with us. I 
was relieved from all doubt by M. Afzelius, who, from his intimate 
and accurate knowledge of the Swedish plants, and not less per¬ 
haps of those of our country, traced out to me certain marks of 
similarity.” 
From this time to 1841, when the ‘ Revisio Critica Caricum 
Borealium ’ of Drejer was published, the true 0. ccespitosa, L., was 
generally unrecognized. Under 0. ccespitosa (G. vulgaris, Fries) 
he expresses a doubt of the correctness of Gay, who had referred 
the G. ccespitosa, L., to the G. strida, Good., and he adds: “ Tertia 
exstat species confinis, G. pacifica, mihi, FI. Hafn., quae spicam 
masculam solitariam cum csespitibus densis foliisque viridibus non 
glaucis conjungit. Teste Yahlio, Lsestadius hanc quoque, quam 
sub nomine varietatis G. ccespitosce habet, veram Linnceanmn ccespi¬ 
tosam ducit.” 
This observation falling under the notice of Fries, led him to 
the perception of the true G. ccespitosa of Linnaeus. But he errs 
in attributing the original reference of G. vulgaris to the G. ccespi¬ 
tosa of the Linnaean Herbarium to Smith; and in considering the 
G. ccespitosa of Goodenough to be compounded of the true 0. cce¬ 
spitosa and O. vulgaris (Mant. iii. p. 158); at least, I can detect no 
such evidence from the description of Goodenough, and I am not 
aware that any one, except Hr. Greville, on the authority of Fries 
(p. 155), has found the G. ccespitosa, L., in this country. I have 
in vain sought for it in all our Herbaria. 
