78 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
collected by Sir John Richardson. Ledebour does not include this 
species in his FI. Altaica, nor have I seen it from the Himalaya. 
Dr. Gray kindly sent me specimens found by Wright in Arakam- 
tchetchene Island, in Behring’s Straits. It was found by all the 
Arctic travellers and voyagers in America. 
Lang considers O. miscmdra, Br., a var. minor, and he and Drejer 
(Rev. p. 54) describe the perigynium “ ore albo, non margine albo 
cincto,” as in the European plant, but in specimens from the Alps 
of Carinthia I observe both characteristics. 
195. C. laxa (Walilenberg); spicis 2-3 oblongis re- 
motis ferrugineis, terminali mascula, rarius apice vel basi 
mascula, reliquis foemineis laxifloris exserte pedunculatis 
pendulis, infima subinde radicali; bracteis vaginatis, 
culmo multum brevioribus; stigmatibus 3; perigyniis 
ellipticis rostellatis, ore integro ferrugineo, obscure ner- 
vatis papillosis glaucis, squama obtusa vel acuta mutica 
vel mucronulata ferrugmea, nervo pallido angustioribus 
brevioribus vel subsequantibus.—C. laxa, Wahl. Act. 
156; FI. Lap. 237. t. 15./. 1; Willd. 294; Schk. 79 
{excl. f. A. A. A. qua C. rariflora); Kunth, 461; Fries 
JSumma, 236; Lang, 92; Anderson, 36. t. 6. /. 69; 
Ledebour, FI. Foss. iv. 297. (Tab. CCXIII.) 
Hab. In Lapponia et Russia. 
Radix stolonifera, fibris glabris. Culmus subpedalis, gra¬ 
cilis, acutangulus, lsevis, flaccidus vel firmus; pars spicas ge- 
rens 3-10 poll, longa. Folia sublineam lata, plana vel condu- 
plicata, culmo multum breviora. Bractece vaginatse: infima 
solum spicula longior. Vagina infima saepe pollicaris. Pedun- 
culi setacei, laeves: infimus H-5 poll, longus. Spica mascula 
5-7 lin. longa, 1 lin. lata, erecta. Spica fceminece 2-7 lin. 
longae, 2 lin. latae, glauco-ferrugineae, a se 2-6 poll, remotse: 
summa saepe abbreviata, pauciflora, nunc masculse contigua: 
infima saepe radicalis. Squamce conformes, masculse longiores. 
Perigynium IAs-StY b n - longum, -% bn. latum, oblongum vel 
ovale, saepius ellipticum, interdum erostellatum vel repente 
rostellatum; ore integro vel subemarginato, rectum vel sub- 
excurvum; nervis inconspicuis. Achenium T ! \r bn. longum, -| 
lin. latum, obovatum, triquetrum, basi styli apiculatum. 
All authors admit the resemblance of this rare species to C. 
limosa and its affinity to O. panicea. The vaginate bracts and 
smooth rootlets place it in the Panicece. I have only seen Lapland 
specimens. M. Spach informs me that in twenty-five specimens 
from Laestadius, in the Herb. Mus. Paris, nine had one female 
spike and the others two; in four the lower one was radical. There 
is occasionally a sterile squamseform bract intermediate between 
the male and the proximate female spike. Lang says, “ Mirum 
est quod botanici nullum de pube seu tomento tenuissimo fruc- 
tuum verbum faciunt, qua ratione G. laxa ab affinibus optime 
distinguitur.” He alludes to the papillae or granulations which 
are common to the Panicece. Lang places it with the Limosce. 
196. C. livida (Willdenovv); spicis 2-3 rarius 4 ob¬ 
longis erectis, terminali mascula, foemineis 1-3, superiori- 
bus vel omnibus approximate, inferioribus breve vaginatis 
infima saepe radicali longissime pedunculata; bracteis va¬ 
ginatis vel amplectentibus plerumque culmo brevioribus; 
stigmatibus 3; perigyniis ovatis basi plus minus acutis 
obtuse triquetris superne vacuis brevissime vel vix rostel¬ 
latis, glaucis concoloribus vel ore integro ferrugineo, plus 
minus nervatis, nervis saepe obscuris, granulatis, scpiama 
oblongo-ovata obtusa mutica vel mucronata purpureo- 
sanguinea medio pallida margine hyalina longioribus vel 
subaequantibus.—G. livida, Willd. 285 ; Schk. f. 211 ; 
Wahl. FI. Lap. 236 ; Kunth, 460 ; Fries, Sum. 236 ; An¬ 
derson, 34. t. 7./. 74; Lang, 94; Boott, FI. Bor. Am. 
224; Carey, 520; Tor. Mon. 417; Gray, Ann. Lye. 
N. York, iii. 235 (1835); Sartwell, Exc. n. 66. C. li¬ 
mosa, §, livida, Wahl. Act. 162 (1803). C. Grayana, 
Dewey, xxv. 141; Steudel, ii. 227. (Tab. CCXIV., 
COXY.) 
Hab. In Europa et America septentrionali. Lapland, 
Sweden, Norway, Hudson’s Bay, Cumberland and Carl¬ 
ton House, North-west Coast. New Jersey and New 
York, in peat-bogs. 
Radix fibrosa, fibris glabris, stolonifera. Culmus 4-12-poll., 
gracilis, obtusangulus, lsevis vel superne acutangulus, scabrius- 
culus. Folia 1-11, lin. lata, culmo breviora, firma, stricta, 
glauca, basi conduplicata, carinata. Bractece vaginatse vel am- 
plectentes, culmo breviores vel infima eo paulo longior. Vagina 
2-4 lin. lata. Pedunculus infimus |-8-10 poll, longus. Spica 
mascula 5-10 lin. longa, 1-1| lin. lata. Spicce fceminece 4-8 
lin. longae, 2-24 lin. latae. Squamce mascula; purpureae, margine 
albidae, obtusae; nervo, nisi in superioribus, infra apicem evan- 
escente: fceminece saepe pallidiores, muticae vel mucronatae. 
Perigynium (in speciminibus Europseis et Americanis) l x 7 o~2 A 
lin. longum, t 7 - 0 --to h n - latum, ovatum vel ovato-ellipticum, 
basi plus minus acutum, semper obtuse trigonum, latius plus, 
vel angustius minus, turgidum, nervis concoloribus pellucidis 
saepe obscuris: interdum apice subexcurvum. Achenium 1-A- 
Ao bn. longum, lin. latum, triquetrum, ovale, tenuissime 
punctulatum, basi styli crassiore apiculatum, pallidum vel 
castaneum. 
The Lapland specimens (Tab. CCXIV.) of this species and the 
American ones from New Jersey (Tab. CCXV.) exhibit the ex¬ 
tremes of its variation. Swedish specimens are like the American 
plant, while those from Arctic America and the Rocky Mountains 
resemble those from Lapland. Anderson says, “ Lapponise quuin 
inhabitat paludes, spicas, ob squamas valde fusco-marginatas, habet 
discolores, quo magis autem austrum versus Suecise medise loca 
uliginosa occupat, eo pallidior evadit planta.” 
The Lapland plant has often a shorter culm, though Wahlen- 
berg, in his ‘ Flora Lapponica ’ (p. 237) describes it as “ plerumque 
pedalis,” the spikes are often approximate, with fewer and lax 
flowers, and the squamae are of a darker colour. The perigynia, 
however, are always trigonous, not “ compressa lenticularis ” {An¬ 
derson), nor “ planiuscula ” ( Walilenberg ), nor “enervia, angulis 
carentia” {Flora Rossica). The only compressed portion is the 
upper part above the achenium. 
The New Jersey plant has generally a tall culm, which has obtuse 
angles at the base, the spikes longer and more remote; the male 
scales, always coloured, often without a mucro; the female ones 
generally paler; and the achenium with less distinct punctulations. 
But these distinctions are not constant, and M. Spach in a note 
says, “ Specimen Friesianum C. lividee, in Herb. Boott, omnino con- 
gruum speciminibus Americanis.” In the American plant the 
female spikes are occasionally abortive. Like C. laxa, this species 
belongs to the Panicece. 
197. C. limosa (L.); spicis 2-3 lsete vel fusco-ferru- 
gineis, terminali mascula erecta oblonga vel cylindrica 
pedunculata, foemineis 1—2 ovatis vel oblongis snipe apice 
masculis pendulis; bracteis angustis, culmo brevioribus, 
auricula ferrugmea amplectente vel brevissime vaginante; 
stigmatibus 3 ; perigyniis ovatis vel ellipticis compresso- 
trigonis obscure nervatis glaucis papillosis rostellatis, ore 
integro vel emarginato, squama ovata. obtusa mucronata 
vel acuminata subaequilata fusca vel rutilante, nervo ssepe 
concolori longioribus vel brevioribus.—C. limosa, L. Sp. 
Bl. (1763); Good. Lin. Trs. ii. 187 ; Willd. 293; Schk. 
f 78; Gaud. Agrost. 157; Wall. FI. Lap. 242; Smith, 
