42 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
lead to the inference that the oblique axis, with the more remote 
female flowers in G. Steudelii and C. phyllostachys, is equally that 
of a simple androgynous spike, and not a compound one, as Kunth 
supposed, with a distinct male and two or more one-flowered fe¬ 
male spiculse. 
In Tab. Oil. the lower perigynium is shown to have an ex- 
serted axis, bearing a solitary male or an androgynous spike. The 
variation in the length of the lower female scale is also repre¬ 
sented. 
96. 0. Steudelii (Kunth); spicis 1-3 remotis radicali- 
bus insequaliter longe setaceo-peclunculatis pallidis erectis 
vel nutantibus, simplicibus androgynis apice temii ssepe 
oblique masculis, basi flosculis foemineis 1-4 alternis 
contiguis instructis; stigmatibus 3; perigyniis orbiculato- 
pyriformibus longe triquetro-rostratis, rostro marginibus 
serratis, ore albo-hyalino integro ciliato demum ferrugi- 
neo, glabris viridibus membranaceis, nervis 2-3 e mar¬ 
ginibus rostri decurrentibus, squama viridi nervata mar- 
gine albida ssepius longe foliacea latioribus plus minus 
brevioribus, vel summa ovata longioribus.—C. Steudelii, 
Kunth, Gyp. 480; Carey, 510 ; Kunze, l. c. 16. t. 3 . f. 2 ; 
Dewey, Sill. xlix. 46; Sartwell, Exs. n. 8. C. Jamesii, 
Schw. An. tab. {fide Carey). C. Willdenowii, var., Mull., 
Elliott, ii. 527. (Tab. CIII.) 
Hab. In America septentrionali, in sylvis. New York 
to Ohio. 
Csespitosa. Radix fibrosa. Culmns brevis, rudimentis folio- 
rum purpureo-ferrugineis foliisque vaginantibus tectus. Folia 
1 lin. lata, plana, mollia, graminea, longissima, ssepe bipe- 
dalia. Pedunculi 1-3, monostachyi, insequales, 1-10 poll, 
longi, radicales, debiles, triquetri, breviores erecti; vel longiores 
decumbentes, angulis albidis, acutis, scabris, infra spicam 
subito latioribus. Sptica 2-7 lin. longa, basi flosculis 1-3 ra- 
rius 4, alternis : pars staminifera linearis ssepius 4-6 lin. longa, 
-p w lin. lata, recta vel obliqua, ssepe quasi breve pedunculata. 
Rachis angulata, obliqua. Squamae mascidae ssepe 12, parvse, 
obtusse, pallide virides, zona ferruginea infra apicem album la¬ 
tum ciliatum notatse. Squamae fceminece ssepe omnes foliacese, 
bracteas simulantes: infima interdum 4 poll, longa: summa 
quandoque ovata, acuta, perigvnio brevior. Perigynium (cum 
stipite -fV lin. longo, rostro l-^j lin. longo) 3 lin. longum, 
T » T lin. latum, demum flavidum, acbenium arete tegens. Ache- 
nium 1 T ’„ lin. longum, lin. latum, obtusissime trigonum, 
obtusum, apice depressione circulari indentation, basi margine 
tumida cinctum, pallidum, punctulatum. Stamina 2. Stylus 
insertus, basi triquetra incrassata. Stigmata 3 vel interdum 
2 ?, longa. 
Kunth, who first distinguished this species, which had been 
previously confounded with 0. Willdenowii, says of it, “ Utriculis 
planiusculo-convexis, squamam ovatam anstatam superantibus; 
acbenium rudimento styli terminatum.” His specimens must have 
been immature. It is singular that he should have placed it and 
G. phyllostachys in different sections, especially as he was inclined 
to consider the last as having a distinct male spike and two or 
three one-flowered female ones, a character equally applicable to C. 
Steudelii. He considers both to be allied to C. depauperate,i, Good., 
“cujus {G. phyllostachys) (he says) nonnisi forma P ” Tuckerman 
has the same idea, and expresses some surprise that Kunze objects 
to this affinity on the part of G. Steudelii. If habit be an element 
of affinity, the simple androgynous radical spikes, the large folia- 
ceous scales and absence of bracts essentially distinguish the Phyl- 
lostachyae. 
O. depauperata affords a good evidence of the difficulty attending 
the notions of the affinities of Garices. Kunth associates it with 
C. phyllostachys, questioning if it be anything more than a variety. 
Drejer places it “ultra terminos” of his Lmivprochlcence, the type of 
which is G. supina. Tuckerman includes it in his Gareyance, and joins 
G.plantaginea and G. oligocarpa with it in the same group. To me, 
it seems to belong to the Sylvaticce, near G. longirostris, Torrey; 
the hyaline orifice of its long slender rostrum contrasting remark¬ 
ably with G. oligocarpa, which again equally contrasts with G. plan¬ 
taginea. Tuckerman considers G. JPitchcockiana a variety of G. 
oligocarpa, the general habit or aspect of which variety or species 
certainly at first glance closely resembles that of O. depauperata. 
97. C. Backii (Boott); spicis 1-4 remotis radicalibus 
insequaliter pins minus longe pedunculatis pallidis erectis, 
androgynis apice inconspicue masculis, basi flosculis 
foemineis 2-4 alternatim contiguis instructis; stigmati¬ 
bus 3 brevibus, stylo exserto; perigyniis oblongo-ova- 
libus conico-rostratis superne vacuis, ore albo-hyalino 
integro vel oblique secto glabris vel rarius superne mar¬ 
ginibus serrulatis, nervis 2 marginalibus, squama viridi 
nervata lanceolata foliiformi amplectente angustioribus 
ssepe multum brevioribus vel summa latioribus longiori- 
busque.—C. Backii, Boott, M. Bor. Am. ii. 210. t. 209 ; 
Carey, l.c. 510; Dewey, Sill. xlix. 46; Sartwell, Exs. 
n. 9. (Tab. CIY.) 
ITab. In America septentrionali, in collibus saxosis. 
Carlton House, Richardson. Rocky Mountains, Drum¬ 
mond. New York, Vasey, Wood. Massachusetts, Whitney. 
Csespitosa. Radix fibrosa. Culmus brevissimus, rudimen¬ 
tis vaginisque foliorum ferrugineis tectus. Folia 1-2 lin. lata, 
firma, 6-12 poll, longa. Pedunculi 1-4, insequales, monosta¬ 
chyi, radicales, graciles, 1-8 poll, longi, ssepe omnes abbre¬ 
viate semper foliis breviores, angulis albidis acutis scabrius- 
culis infra spicam latioribus subalatis. Spica primo squamis 
erectis fere occulta, pauciflora rarius composita: pars stami¬ 
nifera inconspicua, 11 lin. longa, -/V lin. lata, subtriflora, vix 
longitudinem dimidiam perigynii superioris attingens. Squamae 
masculae oblongse, tubulosse vel amplectentes, virides, zona fer¬ 
ruginea infra apicem albo-hyalinum angustum notatse. Squamae 
fceminece omnes foliiformes, bracteas simulantes, infima ple- 
rumque 1-11 poll, longa, interdum 3-5-pollicaris, 1-2 lin. 
lata, vel summa ovata cuspidata perigynium sequans vel eo 
brevior. Perigynium 21-3 lin. longum, 1-1 T V lin. latum, sen- 
sim in rostrum late conicum attenuatum; ore hyalino, demum 
ferrugineo; superne vacuum; rostro rarius ad margines serru- 
lato; ssepius omnino glabrum, membranaceum, acbenium laxi- 
uscule vestiens. Achenium 1 T 2 0 —lyt,- lin. longum, ^ lin. latum, 
orbiculato-subtrigonum, basi produetum, faciebus convexis, 
pallidum, punctulatum, basi styli sequali decidua. Stylus ex- 
sertus, stigmataque 3, brevia, granulata, brunnea. 
In uno specimine, flosculis foemineis 4, infimus 7 lin. remo- 
tus, squama 5 pollices longa, suffultus. In altero, perigynium 
infimum (ut in C. Willdenowii ) proliferum. 
Ab affinibus differt, perigynio superne vacuo, rostro bre- 
viori, basi latiori; stylo demum exserto, stigmatibusque bre¬ 
vibus granulatis; flosculis masculis semper paucioribus, incon- 
spicuis, squamisque tubulosis ?, apice oblique fissis. 
98. C. Geyeri (Boott); spica simplici androgyna apice 
cylindrica mascula pallida vel demum ferruginea, basi 
flosculis foemineis 1-5 alternis approximatis rachi recta; 
stigmatibus 3; perigyniis ovali-trigonis basi productis 
brevissime rostellatis, ore albo-hyalino integro ciliato 
viridibus membranaceis glabris, nervis 2 prominentibus, 
squama late ovata obtusa vel acuta albida medio viridi 
nervata amplectente cuspidata vel foliacea plus minus 
brevioribus.—C. Geyeri, Boott, Lin. Trans, xx. 118; 
Kunze, l. c. 186. t. 47. (Tab. CY.) 
