ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
51 
slieaths, and perigynium; erect, often compound spikes, and ob¬ 
tuse, often emarginate.. scales. Mr. Sullivant found it growing 
with O. pubescens and G. gracillima, and thinks it may prove to be 
a hybrid between them.* C. Knieskernii, Dewey, found in Oneida 
County, New York, a plant only known from a few immature spe¬ 
cimens, is closely allied to it, differing merely in a smooth and 
more distinctly nerved perigynium. Mr. Carey has referred it to 
G. arctata, but the pilose culm and leaves, and the copious pellucid 
spots on the perigynium ally it more closely to G. Sullivmtii. 
123. C. venusta (Dewey); spicis 3-5 cylindricis pedun- 
culatis, terminali gracili mascula, reliquis foemineis sub- 
crassis densifloris, superioribus approximate, inferiori- 
bus remotissimis basi attenuatis exserte pedunculatis 
nutantibus; bracteis inferioribus culmo multurn brevio¬ 
ribus ; stigmatibus 3; perigyniis triquetris fusiformibus 
utrinque acutis rostellatis, ore albo-hyalino integro obli¬ 
que secto ciliato, undique scabris valide nervatis olivaceis 
demum ferrugineis ferrugineo punctatis, squama oblonga 
obtusa mutica (vel inferioribus cuspidatis) ferruginea 
medio viridi nervata scabra apice liyalina ciliata latiori- 
bus duplo longioribus.-—C. venusta, Dewey, Sill. xxvi. 
107; Tor. Mon. 416; Sartwett, Dxs. n. 119. (Tab. 
CXXXIV.) 
Hab. In America septentrionali. Florida, Dr. Chap- 
man. 
Yar. / 3 ; spicis 4 gracillimis, terminali mascula, foemi¬ 
neis laxifloris; perigyniis angustioribus, rostro longiori, 
ore byalino bilobo, scabris tenuiter nervatis, squama lan- 
ceolata obtusa vel acuta, infima acuminata albida duplo 
longioribus.—New Carolina, Mr. Curtis. 
Yar. 7 ; spicis 3 erectis brevioribus, terminali mascula, 
foemineis densifloris; perigyniis glabris rostellatis, rostro 
ad margines ssepe scabro, squama ferruginea obtusa vel 
acuta plus minus longioribus.—New Orleans, Drummond, 
n. 434. 
a. Culmus 2-3^-ped., gracilis, apice scaber, basi rudimentis 
foliorum purpureis scabriusculis tectus; pars spicas gerens 
1-21 ped. longa. Folia 11-3 lin. lata, culmo breviora, utrin- 
que scabra. Bractece vaginate: inferiores culmo multurn bre- 
viores: medise eo longiores : summa setacea, brevior. Vagina 
infima 2-5 poll, longa, scabriuscula. Peclunculi setacei, sca- 
bri: infimus 4-5 \ poll, longus, plus minus exsertus. Spica 
mascula 14 lin. ad 2 poll, longa, lineam lata, basi attenuata. 
Spica: fmnmecr 9 lin. ad 2 poll, longae, 3 lin. late: inferiores 6- 
18 poll, remote, nutantes vel erecte. Squamae omnes ferrugi- 
nese, ciliatse, dorso virides, nervate, scabrse, obtusse : inferiores 
cuspidate. Perigynium 3-3-S„- lin. longum, 6 n. latum, 
stipitatum. Achenium 1-%- lm. longum, M—rs tin. latum, 
triquetrum, ovale vel obovatum, stipitatum, basi styli apicula- 
tum, stramineum. 
The varieties /3 and y, though differing from each other and 
from the typical form, I can only refer to it. The rough perigy¬ 
nium of /3 separates it from G. debilis, to which in other respects 
it is closely allied: and the form of the perigynium, though 
smooth, of the var. y, and its general aspect, connect it more im¬ 
mediately with G. venusta. A more familiar acquaintance with 
these southern plants may lead hereafter to more definite charac¬ 
ters, or to the propriety of uniting them to G. debilis, between 
which variable species and G. venusta there is certainly a very inti¬ 
* In a note to me he says : “ It has never been found by any 
one, that I am aware of, but myself, and only in one small spot. 
I transplanted it into my garden, watched it for several years, but 
never could find mature achenia.” 
mate connection. The difference in the perigynium as to rough¬ 
ness or smoothness will hardly be insisted upon alone as constitu¬ 
ting a specific distinction, since we find a palpable variation in 
this respect between the southern and northern forms of G. stri¬ 
ata. Dewey alludes to the terminal spike of G. venusta being 
occasionally androgynous, female at top, and even to a second male 
spike. I have not observed either of these characters in the few 
specimens I have seen of this species, and the last is certainly 
anomalous in the group to which 0. venusta belongs. 
124. C. arctata (Boott); spicis 4-6 cylindricis gracili- 
bus pallidis remotis pedunculatis, terminali mascula al¬ 
bida tenui erecta, reliquis foemineis linearibus laxifloris 
basi attenuatis sparsifloris, longe exserte setaceo-pedun- 
culatis nutantibus ; bracteis culmo brevioribus; stigma¬ 
tibus 3, brevibus; perigyniis e basi obtusa ovato-ellip- 
ticis triquetris sensim acuminato-breve-rostratis, ore bi- 
dentato albo ciliato, leviter nervatis glabris membra- 
naceis viridibus demum ferrugineo-punctatis stipitatis, 
squama ovata obtusa vel acuta cuspidata albida ciliata 
nervo viridi ssepe scabro longioribus vel (cuspide) bre¬ 
vioribus.—-C. arctata, Boott, FI. Bor. Am. ii. 227 ; 
Carey, l. c. 527 ; Sartmell, Fxs. n. 117. C. sylvatica, 
Dewey, l. c. x. 40 [non Muds.); Schw. et Tor. 350 ; 
Tor. Mon. 416. (Tab. CXXXV.) 
Hab. In America septentrionali, in sylvis et pratis. 
Canada, Goldie, Todd. New England to New York, 
Carey. 
Culmus 1 -lg-pcd., gracilis, superne setaceus, scaber, in¬ 
terne foliatus, basi rudimentis foliorum atro-purpureis fibriflo- 
sis ssepe scabriusculis tectus; pars spicas gerens 6-13 poll, 
longa. Folia 1-4 lin. lata, plana, graminea: culmea angus- 
tiora deorsum breviora, omnia culmo multurn breviora: radi- 
calia latiora, subrigida, eo ssepe longiora. Bractea infima 1-11 
lin. lata, culmo brevior, longe vaginata: superiores setacese, 
spicis breviores. Vagina infima subinde 4 poll, longa. Pedun- 
culi setacei, scabri: infimus ssepe 3-6 poll, longus, longe exser¬ 
tus. Spica mascula 6-13 lin. longa, |—§- lin. lata, basi attenuata, 
pedunculata: foeminese 1-3| pollices longse, 1-2 lin. latse, 
laxiflorse, basi flosculis remotiuscule alternis attenuate, nutan¬ 
tes : infima magis remota. Squamae masculse albse, demum 
pallide ferruginese, nervo viridi, lanceolate: inferiores laxse, 
apice attenuate vel cuspidate, ciliatse: foeminese ovate, ob¬ 
tusse vel acute: inferiores longius cuspidate, ciliatse. Peri¬ 
gynium l-p„- lin. longum, fy —1 lin. latum, basi obtusum, stipi¬ 
tatum, rarius rostro apice ad margines serrato. Achenium 
lineam longum, T fi f) lin. latum, oblongo-triquetrum, basi styli 
apiculatum. 
A C. sylvatica, Huds., differt, spicis laxifloris, gracilioribus; 
perigyniis nervatis, rostro breviori, etc. 
I have never seen this species from any locality south of New 
York, or north of Canada. It was not found by the Arctic tra¬ 
vellers. The ferruginous spots on the perigynium are more visi¬ 
ble in some specimens than others, apparently depending on the 
maturity of the perigynium. I have frequently received it under 
the name of G.flexuosa, from which it is easily to be distinguished 
by the cuspidate female scales and the bidentate orifice of the 
shorter stipitate perigynium. 
125. C. linearis (Boott); spica simplici androgyna 
apice mascula lineari elongata castanea basi attenuata 
laxiflora nuda; stigmatibus 3 ; perigyniis linearibus late 
rostratis obtusis subplano-convexis, ore albo membrana- 
ceo obliquo, enerviis, marginibus acutis recurvis serratis, 
pallidis superne castaneis racheola intus instructis, squa¬ 
ma oblonga obtusa mutica vel hispido-cuspidata pallide 
