ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CA11EX. 
167 
Fries, in his Mant. 3, 154, remarks of this species, “Formse et 
varietates tam infinite ut de eisdem libellum facile scriberes.” 
Its affinity, through O. rigida (typice perigyniis enervibus) and 
its variety hyperborea (perigyniis leviter nervatis), is with the 
smaller forms of G. aquatilis, the fuller development of which 
scarcely admits of any comparison, to say nothing of its smooth 
obtuse-angled culm, more elongated subamplectent bracts, and 
nerveless perigynium. It is allied also to the smaller forms of C. 
acuta , L., which Kunth considered as “ nil nisi forma paludosa,” 
and Bentham thought might be “ a mere luxuriant varietybut, 
assuming that its larger development is the result of luxuriance 
of growth, I think the distinction is tenable, from the biconvex 
subventricose form of the perigynium of G. acuta. 
I have given several Plates to exhibit its very variable character, 
one figure in which is instructive, that of 0. stolonifera, Hoppe 
(Tab. DLXI.), “ e summis alpibus ad glacias aeternas, auf den 
M.argaritsen ,” which has the recurved foliage of 0. rigida , the 
nerved perigynium of G. hyperborea, the inflorescence and small 
rounded auricles of C. vulgaris. 
Var. alpina; spica abbreviata vel subelongata, e spi- 
culis 2-5 fuliginosis vel purpureis oblongis contiguis vel 
approximatis sessilibus, terminali mascula, reliquis femi- 
neis clensifloris, superioribus saepe apice masculis, infima 
subinde remota pedunculata basi laxiflora; bractea eva- 
ginata foliacea vel subulata rarius culmum superante, 
auriculis plerumque amplis; stigmatibus 2 rarius 3; 
perigyniis ovalibus obtusis vel abrupte rostellatis plano- 
convexis rarius subtriquetris vel ellipticis acutis, ore 
integro, enerviis flavidis superne purpureis vel atris, 
squama ovata obtusa purpurea longioribus :—foliis plus 
minus falcatim patentibus.—C. rigida, Good. Linn. Trans. 
2, 193, t. 22; Wahl. Act. 166; Willd. 273; Sc/d-, f. 
71; Eng. Bot. t. 2047; Smith, Eng. El. 116; Erics, 
Mant. 3, 147, et Sum. 233 ; Lange, 83 ; Anders. 53, 
t. 5,/. 46; Reich. 12, t. 225; Koch, 873; Carey, 517. 
C. saxatilis, El. Dan. t. 159 ; Wahl. Act. 166, et Lapp. 
247 ; Willd. 272; Schh.f. 40 ; Kunth, 410 ; Gay, Ann. 
Sc. Nat. 11,187 ; Drejer, Rev. 41; Led. El. Alt. 223; 
El. Ross. 309 ; Steud. 210 ; Deioey, Sill. 11, 310, et 27, 
236 ; Torr. Mon. 397. C. caespitosa, /3, Hooker, El. Scot. 
268. C. compacta, Kroch ; Hoppe. C. ensifolia, Turcz. 
C. orbicularis, Boott, Linn. Trans. 20 ; Steud. 210. 
Var. /3. hyperborea ; spiculis saepe 6-8, masculis ra- 
rissime 2, femineis inferioribus cylindricis angustis basi 
attenuato-laxilloris remotis, longe pedunculatis, perigyniis 
saepe tenuiter nervatis, squama subinde lanceolata acuta 
brevioribus ;—foliis elongatis erectis.—C. byperborea, 
Drej. Rev. 41 ; Fries, Sum. 232 ; Anders. 52, t. 5,/. 47 ; 
Lange, 82 ; Steud. 210. C. limula, Fries, Sum. 229 ; 
Anders. 47, t. 5, /. 53 ; Lange, 77; Steud. 214. C. 
nigra, Sclav, et Tor. 336. C. Bigelowii, Tor. et Sclav. 
An. Tab. C. saxatilis, /3. Bigelowii, Torr. Mon. 397. 
C. rigida, (3- Bigelowii, Tuck. 19; Carey, 517; Sartioell, 
Exs. n. 50. C. Washingtoniana, Dewey, Sill. 10, 272. 
C. dubitata, Dewey; Woods, Bot. C. anguillata, Drej. 
Rev. 36; Steud. 214. 
Hab. In alpibus Europae, Asiae, Americae sept.— 
Behring’s Straits. Oregon. Rocky Mountains. 
Inter a et /3, nec limites dantur nec eas h C. vulgari et C. 
aquatili facile est distinguere, ut plane patet ex observationibns 
auctorum, et ex speciminibus pluribus in lierbariis ad unam 
vel alteram segre allatis. 
Yariat culmo 4-18 lin. longo, crasso, debili, acutangulo vel 
obtusangulo, curvato vel recto, lsevi vel superne scabro; foliis 
|-~4 lin. latis, culmo brevioribus vel elongatis sequantibus, 
patentibus arcuato-recurvis vel stricte erectis, marginibus de- 
flexis; bractea foliacea, spicula vel culmo longiore, vel setacea 
breviore; auriculis amplis vel infima parva, rotundata, discreta 
vel connata; spiculis 2-5, vel 6-8, 3 lin. ad 1| poll, longis, 
1-3 lin. latis, obtusis, acutis, fuliginosis concoloribus, vel pur¬ 
pureis vel purpureo-ferrugineis, abbreviatis congestis sessilibus 
densifloris, vel ovalibus oblongis approximatis vel cylindricis 
subremotis,infima breve (rarius radicali longe) pedunculata, vel 
inferioribus pedunculatis, clavatis, basi attenuato-laxifloris, su¬ 
perioribus ssepe apice masculis, rarius omnibus femineis, termi¬ 
nali 1 rarius 2, mascula vel summa basi vel medio vel apice 
feminea; squamis fuliginosis concoloribus vel purpureis, nervo 
pallidiore vel fusco-ferrugineis, marginibus anguste albo-liyali- 
nis, ovatis rotundatis obtusis vel lanceolatis, acutis, perigynio 
brevioribus vel longioribus,nervo rarius excurrente, rarius (luce 
subjectis) pellucide-lineatis, masculis saepe ferrugineis ; peri¬ 
gyniis 1-1 t 7 o- lin. longis yV~to lin. latis, ovalibus ellipticis ob- 
ovatis vel suborbiculatis, obtusis vel subacutis, erostellatis vel 
abrupte vel sensim rostellatis, ore integro vel rarius emarginato, 
achenium laxe vel arete vestientibus, nunc apice modice 
excurvatis, viridibus vel flavidis superne purpureo-tinctis vel 
fuliginosis, basi pallidis, plus minus tenuiter granulatis, raris- 
sime marginibus superne parce dentatis, enerviis vel basi 
obsolete vel tenuiter nervatis, plauo-convexis vel biconvexius- 
culis vel ab angulo centrali postice prominente subtriquetris ; 
achenio obovato vel ovato, vel elliptico-lenticulari vel tri- 
quetro, ferrugineo, angulis pallidioribus ; stigmatibus 2, rarius 
3 ; stylo saepe porrecto. 
G. rigida was established by Goodenough in 1792, on specimens 
from the mountains of Wales and Scotland, and was characterized 
by a thick, rigid, often curved culm, rigid recurved leaves, and a 
nerveless perigynium,—though this last character was not noticed 
by him, but has been insisted upon by those who have since 
adopted the species. Sir W. J. Hooker, in his FI. Scotica, was 
inclined to consider it an alpine form of G. vulgaris, an opinion to 
which the author of the FI. llossica leans. On a patient exami¬ 
nation of a large suite of specimens from Wales, Scotland, the 
North of Europe, Asia, and North America, I can find no charac¬ 
ter constant, and a transition to O. vulgaris, G. aquatilis, and G. 
stylosa, which renders the determination of many specimens very 
embarrassing. In 1841, Drejer, in his 1 Revisio,’ proposed G. hy¬ 
perborea, but with some hesitation ; and he has been followed, 
with more confidence, by Fries, Andersson, and Lange. The 
principal characters are a taller, gracile, straight culm • longer, 
narrower, straight, erect leaves ; occasionally elongate, lax-flowered 
female spikes ; and frequently an obscurely-nerved perigynium. 
But here the characters constantly elude us. 
I must refer those who are curious upon the subject of implied 
distinctions to the works of the later authors I have quoted. I 
will only observe that one of the most accurate, Andersson, has 
two varieties of C. hyperborea, “ var. latifolia, quae etiam alpes 
summas inhabitat, C. rigida, G. hmulce, et O. aquatili epiqejos 
maxima cognata ; et var. angustifolia, G. vulgaris et G. aquatili 
sphagnophilee non dissimilis.” 
Of G. rigida Andersson has three varieties“Var. inferalpina 
(luxurians) : pedalis et ultra, foliis latissimis, inferioribus subex- 
curvatis, superioribus erectis ; bracteis late foliaceis, planiusculis ; 
spicis femineis inferioribus exserte pedunculatis, clavatis, subrari- 
floris, ad masculam approximatis, gluinis acutiusculis. Var. 
saxatilis (normalis) ; culmo 6-10 uncias elato ; foliis excurvis, 
rigidis, carinatis; bracteis angustis brevibus; spicis femineis ob¬ 
longis, sessilibus, remotiusculis, infima pedunculata; glumis ssepe 
acutis. Var . glacialis (jpumild) \ culmo digitali; foliis patentibus, 
plerisque emarcidis. marginibus valde revolutis; bracteis in cus- 
pidem herbaceam mutatis; spicis ovato-globosis, approximatis, 
2 Y 
