ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
25 
I can add nothing to the descriptions of this species, which 
Fries and Anderson ally to the G. stricta, Good., from its reticu¬ 
lated sheaths and deciduous perigynia. But the aspect is more 
that of G. vulgaris, from which the above characters, its csespitose 
fibrous (not creeping) root, the larger auricles, short bracts, bi¬ 
convex nerveless perigynium, the solitary male spike, and the ab¬ 
sence of male florets on the female ones, distinguish it. The scales 
have frequently a narrow white margin, and the form of the peri¬ 
gynium is often subrotund, or oval, or obovate. The specimens 
figured were sent to me by Fries, from Upsala. He at the same 
time mentioned that he has received it from Hr. Greville of Edin¬ 
burgh, but no specimen exists in Dr. G.’s herbarium, and he 
has no recollection of ever finding it in Scotland. I have in vain 
sought for it in the herbaria to which I have had access; but I 
cannot doubt that a species so common in the North of Europe 
will eventually be found in Scotland. 
62. C. oligosperma (Michaux); spicis 2-3 erectis den- 
sifloris, terminali mascula tenui cylindrica pedunculata 
nuda vel altera minori contigua bracteata sessili, foemi- 
neis 1-2 ovatis crassis paucifloris sessilibus evaginatis 
flavidis, suprema subinde apice mascula, infima remota 
ssepe breve pedunculata ; bracteis involutis, infima ssepe 
culmo multum longiori; stigmatibus 3; perigyniis tur- 
gide ovatis inflatis breve rostratis, ore emarginato obliquo 
bidentato, nervosis glabris, squama late ovata obtusa 
mutica vel obtusa mucronulata ferruginea medio pallida 
nervata margine albo-liyalina longioribus.—C. oligosper- 
ma, Mich. ii. 174; Dewey, Sill. xi. 160; Kunth, Cyp. 
499 ; Tor. Mon. 421; Carey, l. c. 535 ; Sartwell, Decs, 
n. 156. C. Oakesiana, Dewey, l.c. xiv. 391 (1848); 
Kunth, Cyp. 499. (Tab. LXIII.) 
Hab. In America septentrionali. Canada, Michauee. 
Cumberland House to Bear Lake, Richardson. White 
Mountains, New Hampshire, OaJces, Tuckerman. Lake 
Avalanche, New York, Gray. Michigan, Torrey. Oneida 
Lake, Knieslcern. 
Culmus 1-2-ped., gracilis, triqueter, kevis vel apice scabrius- 
culus, basi vaginis foliorum rubris vel decoloribus tectus, fo- 
liisque vaginantibus inferne vestitus, superne nudus; pars spi- 
cas gerens 1-4 poll, longa. Folia involuta, angusta, culmo 
ssepe longiora, demum flavida. Bracteee evaginatss, involute: 
infima culmum subsequans vel eo multum longior. Ligula ro- 
tundata, ferruginea. Spica mascula 1-1 \ poll, longa, f lin. 
lata, ferruginea: altera minor sessilis, bracteata. Spica fce- 
minece 1-2, a se 8 lin. ad 2 poll, remotse, 4-9 lin. longse, 3-4 
lin. latse, plerumque sessiles, vel infima breve pedunculata. 
Sguamce ferruginese, margine albo-hyalinse: masculse arete 
imbricatse, lanceolatse: nervo in inferioribus infra apicem 
evanescente, in superioribus ssepe extra producto: foeminese 
latiores, obtusse vel acutse vel mucronulatse. Perigynium 2p ( -— 
Ao lin. longum, 1 T 9 -- T ' (T lin. latum, abrupte vel sensim rostel- 
latum (rostro T 3 „—lin. longo) ; stylo demum porrecto. Aclie- 
nium lW—fb bn. longum, - !) fr lin. latum, ovali- vel obovato- 
triquetrum, basi styli apiculatum, fuscum. 
This species, originally found by Michaux in Canada, and sub¬ 
sequently by Sir John Richardson, on his first journey with the 
late Sir John Franklin to the Polar Sea, was not known, I believe, 
as a native of the United States till discovered by Mr. Oakes at 
the base of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. His speci¬ 
mens were described by Dewey in 1848, under the name of C. 
Oalcesiana, the orifice of the perigynium said to be entire. I have 
abundant specimens from Mr. Oakes’s locality, gathered by Tucker¬ 
man, which entirely agree with those from British America. I 
am not aware whether this species has been found south of New 
York. 
Sir John Richardson, in his last Polar Expedition, brought very 
characteristic specimens of this plant from Lake Superior, and 
with them, from the Methye Portage, an allied, but, I think, dis¬ 
tinct species, which I have named after his friend and companion, 
Dr. Rae. 
In 72 specimens of G. oligosperma, I find— 
20 with 2 spikes. 56 with 1 male. 35 with 1 female. 
51 „ 3 16 „ 2 37 „ 2 
1 „ 4 
In 17 the upper female is male at top. 
63. C. Raeana (Boott); spicis 3-4 erectis cylindricis, 
terminali mascula pedimculata nuda basi attenuata rarius 
altera minori sessili subremota bracteata, feemineis sae- 
pius 2 multifloris remotis olivaceo-purpureis sessilibus 
vel infima basi laxiflora subinde vaginata breve exserte 
pedunculata; bracteis culmum subsequantibus; stigmati¬ 
bus 3; perigyniis oblongo-ovatis rostratis bifurcatis (la- 
ciniis acutis scabris ssepe basi lobatis) inflatis nitidis 
nervatis fusco-olivaceis, squama lanceolata acuminata 
acuta vel cuspidata purpurea medio viridi margine albo- 
hyalina latioribus paulo longioribus.—C. Raeana, Boott, 
Rich. Arct. Bxp. ii. 344 (1851). (Tab. LXIV.) 
Hab. In America Boreali. Methye Portage, Sir 
John Richardson, 1848-9. 
Culmus 1-1 Ypedalis, gracilis, triqueter, kevis vel scabrius- 
culus, basi vaginis pallidis reticulatis tectus; pars spicas ge¬ 
rens 5-8 poll, longa. Folia angusta, involuta, culmum sequan- 
tia, ssepe curvata. Bracteee basi amplectentes: infima inter- 
dum breve vaginata, culmum subsequans. Vagina 1-2 lin. 
longa. Spica mascula 1-1) poll, longa, 1 lin. lata, laxa, basi 
attenuata, laxiflora, rarius altera minor bracteata, subpollicem 
remota. Spicce fceminece cylindrical, 6-16 lin. longse, 2)-3 
lin. latse, a se 2)-3 poll, remotse, sessiles, vel infima ssepe 
laxiflora, pedunculata, interdum breve vaginata. Squama mas- 
culse lanceolatse, pallide ferruginese, margine late albo-hyalinse, 
laxse, superiores mucronatse : foeminese lanceolatse, acuminatse, 
acutissimse, inferiores ssepe apice involutse, ciliatse, superiores 
bispido-mucronatse. Perigynium (immaturum) 2-f lin. longum, 
lineam latum, bifurcatum; lacinise acutse scabrse ssepe basi 
lobatse. 
C. oligospermee affinis. DifFert inflorescentia longiori; spi¬ 
cis 3 vel 4, rarius 2, foemineis cylindricis, multifloris, plerum¬ 
que 2, omnino foemineis, infima laxiflora, interdum exserte 
pedunculata; perigyniis longius rostratis, bifurcatis, laciniis 
scabris, ssepe lobatis; squamis foemineis angustioribus acumi- 
natis. 
I find in 18 specimens— 
1 with 2 spikes. 16 with 1 male. 1 with 1 female. 
13 „ 3 2 „ 2 15 „ 2 
4 »_ 4 2 „ 3 
In 13 there is a sterile bract below the male spike. 
64. C. crus-corvi (Shuttleworth); spica elongata, am- 
bitu lanceolato, basi ramosa pallide viridi demum oliva- 
cea, e spiculis androgynis apice masculis parvis ovatis 
demum squarrosis arete congestis sessilibus numerosis 
decomposita, ramis oblongis erectis contiguis ornuiuo 
spiculiferis, inferioribus ssepe longe setaceo-bracteatis; 
stigmatibus 2; perigyniis e basi truncata demum insig- 
niter tumida spongiosa, ovatis sensim in rostrum longum 
lineare attenuatis bifidis antice alte fissis, marginibus 
superne acutis serratis, plano-convexis leviter nervatis 
stipitatis divaricatis, squama ovata acuta vel plus minus 
cuspidata pallida hyalina trinervi plus duplo longioribus. 
—C. crus-corvi, Shuttleworth, in lift.; Kunze, Riedgr. pp. 
H 
