ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
93 
feriores ssepe basi composite. Squama omnes albitUe, ferru- 
gineo-tincte, obtusse, muticse, nervo viridi scabro infra apicem 
hyalinam ciliatam evanescente : vel fceminese inferiores rarius 
omnes lanceolate, acute, vel cuspidate. Perigynium 2 T 6 - 0 --3 
lin. longum, lin. latum; ore semper albo-hyalino, facile 
rupto; laciniis plerumque obtusis, ciliatis; rostro ad margines 
ssepe scabro. Achenium l-l T '- 0 lin. longum, - 6 Tj — r 7 - (T lin. latum, 
obovatum, longe stipitatum, triquetrum, castaneum, punc- 
tatum. Stylus flexuosus. 
Yar. /3. Perigynium 2p- (J lin. Ion gum, -,§o—A bn. latum. 
Stylus basi obliquus vel depressus. 
Yar. y. Perigynium 4-4y% lin. longum, b lin. latum, stipi¬ 
tatum. Stylus flexuosus. 
I am not aware how far south the typical form exten s. I have 
not seen any specimens of it south of Pennsylvania, except that of 
Buckley from the mountains of Carolina and Georgia; and though 
Elliott inserts the species in his ‘ Flora,’ I do not quote him, as 
the specimen in his herbarium, under the name of G.flexuosa, was 
received from Muhlenberg, and no particular locality is given by 
Elliott for the species. Mr. Curtis informs me that the C. digi¬ 
talis of Elliott’s herbarium is also C. debilis, received from Dr. 
Torrey. 
Between a and /3 there are intermediate forms, which insensibly 
unite them. The specimens figured (Tab. CCLXXIII.) are from 
Mr. Sartwell. They approach G. arctata, but the scales and the 
sessile perigynium, with its acute base, at once distinguish them. 
The var. 7 is in aspect different from many of the northern forms, 
and has a longer and narrower perigynium. It approaches 0. 
venusta, especially the var. 7 of that species, from which it differs 
in having a smooth perigynium. From the typical form of C. ve¬ 
nusta it differs also in its longer rostrum, bilobed orifice, and more 
delicate nerves. It may, however, hereafter be judged to be rather 
a variety of C. venusta than of G. debilis. There are northern 
specimens differing from it only in having a shorter perigynium. 
Buckley’s specimen differs only in this respect. In the typical 
form (Tab. CCLXXII.) the female spikes vary in length and 
breadth, more or less loosely flowered, erect-nutant, or the lower 
ones pendulous : the female scales vary in their length as com¬ 
pared with the perigynium, and in being more or less obtuse or 
acute. In the northern specimens, as compared with the var. 7 , they 
are often acute or subacute, especially the lower ones, or lanceo¬ 
late-acuminate, as long, or nearly as long, as the perigynium. The 
perigynium not only varies in length and breadth, but in the pro¬ 
portion between its body and rostrum. Two perigynia, of the 
same length, will thus differ in form ; what in the one is added to 
the rostrum will be taken from the body of the perigynium, or the 
reverse. In some specimens the perigynium is narrower, closely 
applied to the achenium, assuming its triquetrous shape ; or 
broader, tumid, and less triquetrous. The orifice is always hyaline, 
sometimes merely emarginate; at others, distinctly bilobed, the 
lobes ciliate and obtuse, especially on a lateral view of them. The 
lower sheaths are smooth, or more or less puberulent, the mem¬ 
branous portion closely beset with ferruginous spots. These spots 
are more distinct on the perigynia of the var. 7 than on those of 
the more northern forms. It would be easy to select well-marked 
specimens of C. debilis, and make species of them ; but I believe 
any one who will patiently study its variations will be convinced 
that all the forms are referable to one species, and I suspect a 
more enlarged acquaintance with the southern forms will show 
that they pass insensibly into those of the north, with which at 
present we are most familiar. We want to be better informed on 
the subject of C. venusta, and to understand more clearly its rela¬ 
tion to G. debilis, or the degree of its own variableness. 
229. C. glabra (Boott); spicis 4-5 oblongis vel cylin- 
dricis pedunculatis pallidis, terminali apice vel basi vel 
apice et basi rarius ornnino mascula, reliquis fcemineis 
subdensifloris, superioribus appro ximatis inferioribus 
longe exserte pedunculatis nutantibus basi attenuatis 
laxifloris interdum compositis, inborn remota; bracteis 
vaginalis culmurn subsequantibus; stigmatibus 3; peri- 
gyniis triquetris turgidis lanceolato-ellipticis utrinque acu- 
tis vel rostellatis glabris, ore bidentato, (laciniis acutis) 
nervatis nervis prominentibus pellucide punctatis viridi- 
bus, squama ferruginea medio viridi nervata scabra ovato- 
lanceolata acuta vel mucronata rarius obtusa ciliata lati- 
oribus subduplo longioribus. (Tab. CCLXXV.) 
Hab. In America septentrionali, New York, Knies- 
Jcern. 
Culmus H-2-i-pedalis, apice setaceus, scaber ; pars spicas 
gerens 4-9 poll, longa. Folia 14 lin. lata, supra vaginseque 
inferiores scabriusculse. Bractea (nisi suprema) vaginate, 
culmum subsequantes, vel infima nunc eo brevior. Vagina 
infima sub 2 poll, longa, scabriuscula. Pedunculi setacei, 
scabri, 2-3 poll, longi. Spica 8-21 lin. long®, 2 lin. late. 
Squama ferruginea;, medio viridi nervate, scabra;: masculge 
lanceolate, obtusa:, muticae, apice ciliate: foeminese acute: vel 
obtusae, mucronate. Perigynium 2(^-3 lin. longum, T s , ; — T a 0 
lin. latum, bidentatum, laciniis acutis (nec membranaceis), 
nervis usque ad apicem conspicuis. Achenium 1 lin. longum, 
-te lin. latum, ovali-triquetrum, stipitatum, basi styli apicu- 
latum, flavidum. 
A C. oxylepule differt culmo, foliis pedunculisque glabris 
(nec pilosis) ; perigyniis majoribus ; squamis mucronatis; 
spicis inferioribus nutantibus, compositis. 
A C. formosa differt spicis inferioribus, ornnino fcemineis, 
etc. 
A C. debili differt perigyniis rostellatis, ore acute bidentato 
nec hyalino, magis turgidis ; nervis validioribus; squamis 
firmioribus. 
I have received this species under the names of G. formosa and 
0. debilis. The absence of the subelongate rostrum and of the hya¬ 
line obtuse orifice separates it from G. debilis and its allies. It has 
hitherto escaped the notice of American botanists, and its value 
as a species most be determined by future observation. On show¬ 
ing it to Mr. Carey, he was of opinion that it belonged to his Gra- 
cillimas, judging from the orifice of the perigynium. I have not 
been able to connect it with any known species of that group. 
230. C. retrorsa (Schweinitz); spicis 5-8 cylindricis 
densifloris contiguis olivaceis demum flavescentibus, ter- 
minalibus 1-4 masculis sessilibus gracilibus vel summa 
ssepe medio vel apice foeminea, aliisque basi fcemineis, reli- 
quis foemineis 4-5 crassis squarrosis oblique clivergentibus, 
superioribus sessilibus evaginatis, omnibus contiguis vel 
infima plus minus vaginata exserte pedunculata distant! 
ssepe basi composita; bracteis inferioribus latis longissi- 
mis, infima plus minus long laxeque vaginata ; stigma¬ 
tibus 3, brevibus; perigyniis ovatis vel ovalibus inflatis 
sensim in rostrum tenue acuminatis, ore bifurcato, hori- 
zontaliter patentibus vel recurvis glabris nervatis mem¬ 
branaceis ; squama lanceolata obtusiuscula vel acuta mu- 
tica vel mucronata ferruginea apice albo-hyalina medio 
viridi nervata latioribus longioribus.—C. retrorsa, 8chi:. 
An. Tab.; Schw. et Tor. 360. zf 28 (bona); Deioey , ix. 
67 ; Carey, 533 ; Sartwell, Exs. n. 150 ; Kunth, 503 (non 
Nees). G. reversa, Sprang el. (Tab. CCLXXVI.) 
Hab. In America septentrionali. Canada to Penn¬ 
sylvania. Wisconsin and North-west Coast (Douglas). 
Cidmus 2-pedalis, validus, triqueter, superne scabriusculus, 
inferne foliatus ; pars spicas gerens 24-12 poll, longa. Folia 
2-4 lin. lata, culmo longiora, nodosa. Bractea inferiores late, 
longissimge : infima quandoque bipedalis, plus minus vaginata. 
