216 
ILLUSTRATIONS OP THE GENUS CAREX. 
a var. /3 with glabrous leaves, which I have not seen. The old 
ones are generally glabrous. The orifice of the perigyniuin varies, 
occasionally entire, truncate, oblique, bidentate or bilobed. 
The specimens figured are from Germany. 
518. C. platystachya (Tenore); spica brevi purpureo- 
vel ferrugineo-albida, e spiculis 2-4 oblongis contiguis 
sessilibus densifloris, mascula 1, femineis 1-3, infima 
subinde paulo remota inserte vel brevi exserte vaginata; 
bractea infima subinde culmum aequante vel spicula sua 
breviore ; stigmatibus 3 ; perigyniis oblongo-ellipticis 
triquetris rostratis, ore hyalino integro obliquo ciliato, 
nervatis superne pilis adpressis asperatis marginibus sca- 
bris demum fuscis, squama late ovata plerumque mutica, 
margine albo-hyalina angustioribus longioribus.—C. pla- 
tystachya. Ten. Fl. Neap. Prod. (1811). C. macrolepis, 
Pec. Fl. Monsp. (1813); Kunth, 438; Kunze, 141, t. 36 • 
Reich. 20, t. 246; Bertol. 86; Steud. 217. C. Tenorii, 
Kunth, 437 (1837); Steud. 217. 
Hab. In Europa.—In pascuis montosis Neapolitanis. 
Rhizoma lignosurn, dense csespitiferum. Culmus l-l|-pe- 
dalis, obtusangulus, lsevis vel superne scaber, gracilis, nudus, 
basi foliis 2-3 subpollicaribus, rudimentis reliquiisque foliorum 
purpureis fibrillosis tectus; pars spicigera 1-2 poll, longa. 
Folia sterilia sub lineam lata, plana, firma, culmo breviora, 
quBedam angustiora etiam capillacea. Bractea infima vel am- 
plectens, vel vaginata, culmum sequans vel spicula brevior. 
Vagina 2-3 lin. longa. Spicula mascula 7-8 lin. longa, 2-3 
lin. lata, sessilis ; feminece 1-3, sessiles, contiguse vel infima 
subinde pollicem re mo tag 6-8 lin. longse, 4 lin. la tan Squamae 
omnes obtusse, muticse, vel feminese infirmc nunc mucronatse, 
margine conspicue albo-hyalinse, interdum apice ciliolatse. 
Perigyniuin 2-2f T lin. longum, t- 0 -1-A lin. latum, acute vel 
insequaliter triquetrum, ore integro hyalino facile rupto. 
Achenium l— lin. longum, T 7 g- lin. latum, ellipticum, basi 
productum, triquetrum, basi styli apiculatum, ferrugineum. 
This species belongs to the Ferruginece, and not to the Mon¬ 
tana, as suggested by Kunze, etc. It varies in the length and 
form of the perigynium, at times oval and shorter, or oblong- 
elliptic. The orifice is normally entire, obliquely cut, but, from 
its hyaline texture, is easily ruptured, I have a specimen from 
Tenore, who, in his ticket, claims the priority as to name, which 
I have therefore adopted. Its nearest affinity is with C. semper- 
virens, Vill. 
519. C. prsecox (Jacquin) ; spica brevi fusco-ferrugi- 
nea, e spiculis 2-4 contiguis oblongis densifloris sessilibus, 
terminali mascula, femineis nunc apice masculis, infima 
inserte vel brevi (subinde radicali longe) exserte peduncu- 
lata ; bractea infima vaginata, spicula ejus breviore vel (ra- 
rius culmum) subsequante ; stigmatibus 3; perigyniis 
ellipticis vel globoso-obovatis obtuse triquetris, basi pro- 
ductis sensim conico-rostellatis, ore integro vel emargi- 
nato, obscure nervatis pubescentibus viridibus apice fer- 
rugineis, squama ovata obtusa vel acuininato-hispido- 
apiculata vel mucronata angustioribus subaequantibus. 
—C. prsecox, Jacq. Fl. Austr. 5, 25, t. 446 ; Good. Linn. 
Trans. 2, 170; Wahl. Act. 157; Gaud. Agrost. 131; 
Willd. 262; Schlc. f. 27; Kunth, 439; Biebst. 385; 
Pec. 3, 115; Led. Fl. Alt. 226; Prejer, Rev. 54; 
Hoppe, Lc.; Koch, 877; Bertol. 87; Anders. 29, t. 7, 
f. 84; Reich. 26, t. 261; Fl. Ross. 301; Gren. et Godr. 
412 ; Gosson et Germ. Obs. Crit. 15, el Fl. Par. 599; 
Steud. 217; Sm. Bng. Fl. Ill; Fng. Bot. t. 1099; 
Benth. 564; Peivey, Sill. 11, 314; Carey, 526; Sart- 
well, Fxs. n. 111. C. stolonifera, Ehrh . ; Lange, 109, 
sec. Smith. C. verna, Vill. 204 {non Schk.). C. fili- 
formis, Leers, 1. 16,/. 5, sec. Koch. C. montana, Poll.; 
Light. 551, sec. Koch et Smith. C. saxatilis, Finds, sec. 
Smith. C. globularis, Leyss. {fide Kunth). C. caryo- 
phyllea, Latour (fide Pec.). C. pilulifera, Geners. {fide 
W aid. Carp.). # C. Sabynensis, Leyss.; Kunth. 440; 
Steud. 218. C. princeps, Brkli. {fide Reich.). C. mol¬ 
lis, Host, t. 82 {fide Koch); Steud. 218. C. umbrosa, 
Host, t. 69 ; Steud. 218. C. sicyocarpa, Rebel. Breb. 
Fl. Norm., “ perigyniis sterilibus” {fide Gren. et Goclr.). 
C. reflexa, Hoppe, “culmo apice refracto,” Kunth, 439 ; 
Steud. 218. C. prsecox, f3, Reich. ; Anders. Fl. Ross. 
C. refracta, Roth. sec. Lloppe. 
Hab. In Europa, Asia, et America septentrionali. — 
Eerro Islands, Norway. Sweden to Italy. Caucasus, 
Mongolia, Altai, Kamtcliatka, Japan. Salem, Ipswich, 
Massachusetts, North America. 
Rhizoma stoloniferum ; stolones undique rudimentis foliorum 
fusco-ferrugineis demum fibrilloso-tritis tecti. Culmus 2-12 
pollices altus, obtuse triqueter, apice scaber, basi foliatus ; 
pars spicigera 8 lin. ad 2 poll, plerumque longa. Folia 1-2 
lin. lata, culmo breviora, firma, ssepe patenti-arcuata. Bractea 
infima plerumque brevi vaginata, vel squamseformis apice 
emarginata; spicula brevior vel sequans, rarius spiculam mas- 
culam attingens. Vagina 1-3 lin. longa. Pedunculus infimus 
insertus vel paulo exsertus, scaber. Spicules omnes 3-8 lin. 
longse; mascula 1-2 lin. ; feminece 2-2| lin. latse, contiguse, 
sessiles, vel infima paulo remota, subinde radicalis, rarius apice 
masculse. Squamae masculce ferruginese, obtusse, muticse vel 
superiores acutse, nervo excurrente. Perigynium 1 do - fa lin. 
longum, lin. latum, trigonum, faciebus subplanis vel 
plus minus convexis, subinde convexissimis, rostro conico 
brevi, ore integro vel emarginato, plerumque tenerrime pu- 
bescens, leviter ssepe obscure nervatum, pallidum, apice ferru¬ 
gineum. Achenium conforme, - 9 -g- lin. longum, f\ — r 7 , 7 lin. 
latum, obovatum, ferrugineum, angulis parum elevatis pal- 
lidis, ima basi styli incrassata, annulo circulari elevato lato 
pallido laxe cincta, apiculatum. Stylus exsertus. 
This early-flowering species is very common in Europe, but has 
only been found, as far as I am aware, in two localities (probably 
introduced and naturalized) in New England, North America. 
In open dry situations it is of small stature, but in woods is often 
a foot high, with long erect leaves, and is then C. umbrosa, Host, 
which Koch describes with a creeping rhizoma. In the more 
developed form, in habit at least, it resembles the C. polyrhiza, 
Wallroth, which in several respects differs essentially from C. 
prcecox. 
Var. polyrhiza, Wallroth ; spica brevi, e spiculis 2-5 
densifloris oblongis approximate, terminali mascula ma- 
jore, femineis subinde apice masculis sessilibus vel infe- 
rioribus exserte pedunculatis; bracteis vaginatis brevi- 
bus ; stigmatibus 3; perigyniis obovato-pyriformibus 
triquetris pilosis, rostro longiore cylindrico emarginato 
bidentato leviter nervatis, squama ovata mucronata lon¬ 
gioribus. — C. polyrhiza, Walk. Schred. 492; Koch, 877 ; 
Lange, 110; Gren. et Godr. 413. C. praecox, var., 
Wahl. Carp.; Gaud. Agrost . ; Fl. Ross. ; Coss. et Germ. 
C. longifolia, Host, Gr. t. 85; Bertol. 89; Steud. 218. 
