164 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
angustiora; bracteseque breviores; spicube minores ; squamse 
semper intensius purpureo-coloratge. 
Hab. In Europa, in montibus Scotise. America arctica.—• 
Groenlandia. Montibus Saxosis. 
The American specimens from New York are paler than those 
from the North of Europe, and the culm often, but not always, has 
sharper and rough angles. But Lapland specimens from Wahlen- 
berg differ only in degree in these particulars. Both in Europe 
and America the lower female squamse are occasionally cuspidate 
and 3-nerved. Sartwell’s specimens exhibit rarely the central 
nerve or compressed angle and the triquetrous achenium ; but, as 
this form is noticed in the var. /3, I suspect it would occasionally 
be found in the typical form in the north of Europe. 
As Andersson has especially noticed the variations of this spe¬ 
cies, I copy his observations, especially as they bear on the affinity 
of its smaller forms with other species:— 
“ C. aguatilis ; sp. fem. 2-3 remotis, sessilibus vel ima pedun- 
culata, strictis, cylindricis, obtusis, densifloris ; bracteis latissimis, 
strictis, ima subvaginante ; fructibus regulariter dispositis, rotun- 
dato-ovatis, obtusiusculis, compressis, enervibus, squamas sub- 
superantibus; culmo obtusaDgulo, stricto; foliis latis canalieula- 
tis; radice stolonifera. 
“ Yar. virescens; culmo s®pe bipedali, trigono, foliis culmum 
multo superantibus ; bracteis latis, spicas masculas superantibus, 
femineis quasi involventibus; spicis clav®formibus ; fructibus 
squamas obtusas pallidas superantibus ;—viridi-csesia. 
“Yar. sphagnophila ; culmo pedali, obtusangulo ; foliis culmum 
sequantibus ; bracteis brevioribus ; spicis cylindricis ; fructibus 
squamas acutas pallidas sequantibus ;—pure viridis. 
“Yar .epigejos; culmo subpedali, superne scabro ; foliis planis 
striatissimis; bracteis spicam masculam subsequantibus; spicis 
femineis subrarifloris, oblongis ; fructibus flavo-viridibus; squamis 
fusco-atris, fere brevioribus ;—fusco-viridis. 
“ Yar. flavioans ; culmo digitali, obtusissimo ; vaginis s®pe 
aphyllis ; foliis latis, acutis ; spicis confertis, lanceolatis; fructibus 
acutis, squamas subulatas vix asquantibus ;—pallide glauca. 
“ Yar. cuspidata ; culmo elatiori; spicis distantibus ; squamis 
triplinervibus, nervo medio in cuspidem integram ssepe producto ; 
fructibus angustioribus. 
“ Loca quum inhabitat species h®cce temperatiora et media 
Scandinavi®, ab omnibus Caricibus distigmaticis luculenter diversa. 
•—Radix valida. Culmus lsevissimus, trigono-obtusangulus (ut 
nulla alia) ; basi polyphyllopodus, sesquipedalis, orgyalis. Folia, 
vaginis rufo-pallidis omnino efibrillosis late canaliculatis, glauco- 
virescentia, interdum angustiora. Spic® seepius valde remotse, fere 
clavseformes, strict® ; bracteis longis latisque, basi quasi obvolut®. 
Fructus smpissime obtusi, pallide csesii, squamas obtusas, pallide 
virides, superantes, enerves. 
“ Quo magis autem loca alpium adscendit, eo magis ab hac 
forma typica recedit, habitumque alpinum, ut ita dicam, induit. 
In convallibus subalpinis, ubi in societate O. vulgaris et C. rigidcc 
inferalpince, ad ripas aqua rapide fluenti subinundatas crescit, 
staturam obtinet minus elatiorem ; folia angustiora; spicas magis 
confertas, fusciores, imas brevipedunculatas ; fructusque squamas 
acutas vix superantes ( G. sphagnopliila). Hoc statu G. limuZce 
simillima, sed culmo laevi, foliis minime asperrimis, fructibusque, 
etc., distincta. 
“ Regionem arborum derelinquens et in clivibus humidis alpium 
vel juxta lacus minores cum O. rigida et G. hyperborea obvia, iis 
non dissimilis. Culmus humilior, sursum scabriusculus. Folia 
breviora, planiuscula, apice triquetra. Spic® sessiles. Squam® 
acut®, fructus virides obsolete nervosos basi subinvolventes, 
atro-purpure®, fuscescentes. Spica mascula (basi ut in omnibus 
affinibus interdum feminea) sffipissime solitaria ( G. epigejos). 
“ Ad earn partem regionis alpin®, qu® nive perenni undique 
circumdatur denique progrediens ; statura contracts; culmo foliis 
latis glaucis et vaginis subaphyllis densissime obsito ; spicis ap¬ 
proximate et obtusis, colore demum glauco-flavescente, ab omni¬ 
bus formis alpinis diversa, sed habitu toto ad normalem evidenter 
accedit. Locis aqua nivali semper inundatis enata, hine colorem, 
staturam et formam omnium partium curtam obtinet (omnino ut 
G. rotundata , extrema forma stirpis glaucescentis 0. ampullacece'). 
“ Litora demum Maris Occidentalis, Glacialis et Albi, ripasque 
iluviorum Lapponi® (maxime frigid®) Tornensis Fenni®que cum 
O. salina et affinibus occupans, harum specierum ita sibi pr®fert 
habitum, ut non nisi summa difficultate distinguatur; culmo 
procero ; foliis latis viridioribus; spicis remotioribus; pedunculis 
exsertis, nonnunquam pendulis; squamis triplinervibus in cuspi¬ 
dem productis ; fructus minute rostratos superantibus iis con- 
gruit. Culmo autem semper obtusangulo, foliis demum involutis, 
et squamis fructus compressos enerves non involventibus, sed iis 
angustioribus diversa. Num h®c forma speciei originaria?” 
The affinity of the smaller forms to 0. rigida and G. hyperborea 
is evident, but I have seen no specimens I could compare with C. 
salina. The American specimens, with the lower squam® cuspi¬ 
date and 3-nerved, from New York, and a larger specimen, with 
broad nodose leaves, from English River, have all the characters of 
the typical form. This form presents no invariable marks of dif¬ 
ference from Europe and America, and certainly differs, as An¬ 
dersson remarks, from all its allies ; and there is a gradual transi¬ 
tion from the smaller to the larger forms. The rigid, obtuse- 
angled smooth culm, and the amplectent base of the bracts, with 
the nerveless perigynium, distinguish the var. /3 from C. vulgaris, 
with which Bentham unites it. 
Of the typical form I find— 
Lapland and Denmark. 
1 with 5 spikes. 3 with 2 male. 9 with 3 female. 
10 „ 6 9 „ 3 3 „ 4 
1 „ 7 
12 12 12 
In 5, the 1-2 upper female are male at top 
Arctic America. 
9 with 2 male. 
11 „ 3 
2 „ 4 
6 with 5 spikes 
13 „ 6 
3 „ 7 
6 with 2 female. 
7 „ 3 
8 „ 4 
1 „ 5 
22 22 22 
In 12, the 1-2 upper female male at top. 
In all, female male at top. 
New YorTc. 
3 with 2 male. 
12 „ 3 
1 „ 4 
9 with 6 spikes. 
5 „ 7 
2 „ 8 
1 with 2 female. 
5 „ 3 
8 „ 4 
2 „ 5 
16 16 16 
In 8, the 1-2 upper female male at top. 
Of the var. /3. minor —■ 
Norway and Lapland. 
1 with 4 spikes. 
4 „ 5 
2 „ 6 
4 with 1 male. 
3 „ 2 
2 with 3 female. 
5 „ 4 
1 with 4 spikes. 
5 „ 5 
7 „ 6 
2 7 
Scotland. 
1 with 1 male. 
7 „ 2 
7 „ 3 
1 with 2 female. 
10 „ 3 
3 „ 4 
1 „ 5 
15 
15 
15 
1 with 3 spikes. 
5 „ 4 
10 „ 5 
2 „ 6 
In the 1-3 upper female male at top 
In 3, all male at top. 
Arctic America. 
6 with 1 male. 
9 „ 2 
3 „ 3 
7 with 2 female. 
7 „ 3 
3 „ 4 
1 „ 5 
18 18 18 
In 7, the upper female male at top. 
