ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
35 
infimus 1^-4 poll, longus. Spica mascula 4-12 lin. longa, 
i-l lin. lata, nuda, sessilis, obliqua, interdum inconspicua: 
rarins plus minus pedunculata, cylindrica. Spica famine® 4 
rarius 2-5, oblongse, 4-12 lin. longse, 2-3 lin. latte : superi- 
ores 1, plerumque 2 masculse arete contiguse: inferiores a se 1 
ad 8 poll, remotse, subdensiflorse: infima solum basi laxiflora. 
Squama albidse, demum lineolis ferrugineis tinctse: maseulte 
angustiores, lanceolatse, acutse vel cuspidatse, vel nervo viridi 
infra apicem obtusum rotundatum e vanes cento, vel in eadem 
spica extra producto : foeminese late ovatse, obtusse vel acumi¬ 
nata;, medio viridi trinerves : inferiores ssepe longe valideque 
cuspidatse (bine perigynio longiores), divergentes: superiores 
brevius cuspidatse, eo breviores. Perigynium 2 fa-fa lin. Ion- 
gum, lin. latum, demum sub lente ferrugineo-macula- 
tum. Achenium l T y— At lin. longum, fa lin. latum, obovato- 
triquetrum, basi productum, castaneum, punctatum, basi styli 
sequali apiculatum. Stylus insertus, supra basin incrassatus. 
Stigmata brevia. 
Yar. /3; culmo graciliori; foliis angustioribus; spicis graci- 
libus, laxifloris ; perigyniis minus turgidis, apice ssepe subros- 
tcllatis • squamis foemineis minus nervatis, semper tenuiter 
cuspidatis; vaginis infimis foliorum purpnreis, gaudet. In uno 
specimine spica infima basi composita. 
T his plant bad been considered as the O. laxiflora of Lamarck, 
until Carey corrected tbe error in Gray’s Botany. The only evi¬ 
dence we have as to tbe character of G. laxiflora, Lam., is from 
bis description from tbe remarks of Schlecbtendal (Linnea, iii. 
258. (1835) on a specimen in Willdenow’s herbarium, which be 
compared with C. Honda and 0. oligocarpa , sent to him by Dr. 
Torrey. Lamarck’s character, “ spicis foemineis filiformibus, flos- 
culis distantibus and again, “les epis femelles garnies de fleurs 
alternes, distantes, blanchatres,” (New York, Pennsylvania, Vir¬ 
ginia,) will not apply to G. grisea, Wahl. 
Schlechtendal says that in Willdenow’s herbarium, is a speci¬ 
men, “n. 17,256, G. nematostachya,~W.fl “ cum hac diagnosi:” 
“ Spica mascula oblonga solitaria, foemineis 3 tenuissime filifor¬ 
mibus, infima pedunculata, fructibus oblongo-lanceolatis alternis 
squama brevioribus; ” and Schlechtendal adds, “ Specimen Parisiis 
acceptum, sub nomine G. laxiflorce , Lam., hsec habet in schedula, 
Willdenowii manu scripta, ‘ Est vera G. laxiflora, Lam.’ Suppe- 
tens specimen, planta quidem integra, sed in statu juniore, ita ut 
difficile est dictu, quacum ex tuis conveniat. Blandce et oligocarpcs 
valde affinis dicitur, quarum priori adderem, nisi res ambigua 
esset.” 
From this it may safely be inferred from Lamarck’s description, 
and from the specimen which Willdenow received from Paris, and 
which he considered the true G. laxiflora, Lam., that that plant is 
not G. grisea, Wahl., but probably a form of G. anceps, of which 
Dr. Torrey considered G. Honda, Dewey, to be a variety. 
In 70 specimens of G. grisea I find— 
15 with 4 spikes. In all 1 male. 
49 „ 5 
6 „ 6 
In one only have I seen male flowers at the apex of the female 
spikes, and no tendency to composition. 
This species is common from Connecticut to Kentucky, and 
westward. Torrey gives it a wider limit. It was not foimd in 
Arctic America by Richardson and Drummond, and the only sou¬ 
thern form I have seen is the var. /3, and the following (unclassi- 
cally named) species, which I think is distinct from G. grisea. 
86. C. flaccosperma (Dewey); spicis 5-4 rarius 6-7 
cylindricis, terminali mascula abbreviata sessili obliqua 
vel ssepe pedunculata clavata, reliquis foemineis foliaceo- 
bracteatis multifloris, suprema mascula arete contigua 
inserte, inferioribus remotis exserte pedunculatis, infi¬ 
ma ssepe nutante, pallide viridibus demum ferrugineis; 
stigmatibus 3, brevibus; stylo sequali; perigyniis ob- 
longis utrinque obtusis rarius rostellatis, ore integro 
vel eniarginato, crebre striato-nervosis basi demum om- 
nino ferrugineis pellucide postea ferrugineo-punctatis, 
squama late ovata acuta mutica vel mucronata albida 
demum ferruginea plerumque uninervata plus duplo vel 
tertio longioribus rarius ad basin {mucronem) mquantibus. 
—G. flaccosperma, Dewey, Sill. ii. ( ser . 2) 245 (1846); 
Sartwell, JExs. n. 84. C. laxiflora, var. /3, Torr. N. Am. 
Cyp. 414 ; Carey, Gray s Dot. 522. (Tab. LXXXYIII). 
Hab. In America Boreali. New Jersey, Knieskern. 
West Chester, Pennsylvania, Townsend. Louisiana, Hole. 
Texas, Drummond, 3 Coll. n. 438. 442. 
Culmus l-l-j-ped., Levis ; pars spicas gerens 6-15 poll, 
longa. Folia 2-4 lin. lata, culmo breviora, glauca. Bracte& 
1 A —3 lin. latte : superiores culmo longiores, omnes vaginatse 
vel summa rarius evaginata. Vagina infima |-1 J poll, longa. 
Pedunculus 1-4 poll, longus, gracillimus. Spica mascula 4- 
14 lin. longa, -|-1^ lin. lata, nuda vel ssepe hracteata, sessilis, 
inconspicua vel ssepe pedunculo unciali instructa. Spicoe fami¬ 
nece 9 lin. ad poll, longse, 2-3 lin. latse, a se 1-6 poll, re¬ 
motse, rarissime superiores apice parce masculse, densi-multi- 
fiorse, plerumque suprema solum masculse contigua, rarius eva¬ 
ginata : infima ssepe demum nutans. Squamce pallidse, demum 
ferruginese: masculse lanceolatse, acutse, nervo infra vel extra 
apicem producto; in speciminibus Pennsylvanicis obtusse, mu- 
ticse, latiores : foeminese late ovatse, acutse, muticse, vel nervo 
centrali ssepius solum conspicuo, plus minus in mucronem ex- 
serto. Perigynium 1-^-2 5 lin. longum, T (,—lyy li n . latum, 
scahritie quadam (sub lente) obsitum, utrinque obtusum vel in 
speciminibus e Louisiana clare rostellatum, ore subemarginato. 
Achenium lyq lin. longum, fa lin. latum, elliptico-obovatum, 
utrinque acutiusculum, basi styli sequali apiculatum. Stylus 
sequalis, insertus. 
A C. grisea differt spicis longioribus, multifloris, densifloris, 
magis distantibus ; squamis ssepe muticis, nec unquam longe 
valid<?que cuspidatis, minus nervatis; bracteis brevioribus; 
stylo sequali ; foliis bracteisque glaucis. 
I have found in 46 specimens— 
13 with 4 spikes. All 1 male. 
28 „ 5 
4 „ 6 
1 „ 7 
The upper females rarely with a few male flowers at apex, and 
the lower as rarely compound at base. 
Its range is from New Jersey to Louisiana. 
87. €. laxiflora (Lamarck). (Tab. LXXXIX.-XCIII.) 
1. Perigyniis ellipticis, apice attenuatis; rostro leviter rarius 
repente exenrvo. 
A. Foliis angustis. 
* Spicis laxifloris, cylindricis, angustis. (Tab. 
LXXXIX.) 
C. laxiflora, Lam. 
C. striatula, Mich. 
C. anceps, Schw. et Tor. etc. 
C. ignota, Beiuey. 
** Spicis densifloris, oblongis, latioribus. (Tab. XC.) 
C. styloflexa, Buckley. 
4). fusiformis, Chapman. 
B. Foliis latis. 
* Spicis laxifloris, cylindricis. 
C. plantaginea, ScJJc.f. 195 (non Lam.'). 
C. anceps, var. patulifolia, Carey, ed. 1. 
2. Perigyniis obovatis; rostro abbreviato, repente rarius le¬ 
viter excurvo. 
A. Foliis angustis. 
* Spicis laxifloris, cylindricis, angustis. 
