ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GENUS CAREX. 
217 
C. umbrosa, Hoppe; Kunth, 439; Reich. 27, t. 263 ; 
Schic. /. 190; WiUd. 277. 
Hab. In Europa et Asia.—France, Germany, Switzer¬ 
land, Italy. Japan. 
Radix csespitosa, fibrosa, fibris pallidis. Cidmi pedales, 
magis acutanguli, seabri, basi reliquiis foliorum fibrilloso- 
tritis, dense tecti. Folia recta, elongata. Bracteee spicula 
ssepius breviores. Spicules, ut in C. prcecoci, ssepe minus con- 
tiguse. Perigynium fusiforme, demurn obovatum, pyriforme, 
triquetrum, rostro subelongato, cyliudrico, ore emarginato 
bidentato, pilis lougis vestito. Achenium obovatum, casta- 
neum, angulis magis prominentibus, acutis, annulo angustiore, 
basin styli plus minus incrassatam arete cingente. 
The essential difference of this plant is in the fibrous, not sto- 
loniferous root, and the narrow annulus on the achenium; for, if 
the O. umbrosa, Host, is distinct from it, we cannot insist on the 
elongated culm and leaves. Koch describes Host’s plant with 
a creeping root, and Grenier and Godron remark that it is not 
even a variety of G. prcecox. Neither Koch, Hoppe, Reichenbach, 
Lange, Grenier and Godron, etc., make any allusion to the annu¬ 
lus of the achenium or base of the style, and their specific charac¬ 
ter is mainly taken from the fibrous root. Hrejer, Symb. p. 7, 
remarks, “ Species proximse et habitu simillimse, quee aliis notis 
segre distinguuntur, sfepe caryopsidis forma egregie differunt. Ut 
exemplum adducam G. prcecocem, Jacq., et 0. polyrhizam, Wallr., 
qure tarn inter se appropinquant, ut multi eas ut species distin- 
guere hsesitent. Caryopside hse insigniter differunt. In G. pree- 
coce caryopsis est brevis, crassa, lateribus irregulariter convexis, 
angulis subprominulis apice in annulum apicem truncatum cin- 
gentem confluentibus, ex cujus annuli spatio medio stylus sub- 
sequalis vel subconicus sese extollit. In G. polyrhiza autem 
caryopsis magis elongata, subobovata, lateribus irregulariter con- 
vexo-subgibbis, angulis valde prominentibus, apice in apiculum 
conniventibus, ex quo apiculo stylus egreditur sub basi tumidulo 
constrictus et cum apiculo articulatus. Notae et foliis et radice 
desumptae fallaces sunt nisi secundarire.” 
This description of the achenium of G. polyrliiza seems to me to 
have been drawn, not from nature, but from the figure of Schlmhr, 
fig. 190, taken from an immature perigynium. In this early state 
the annulus is not fully developed, the apex of the achenium pre¬ 
senting the appearance of a cylindrical permanent base of the style; 
but at a later stage the annulus is perceptible, but is always of a 
much smaller diameter than that on G. prcecox. In size and form, 
with the exception of the more prominent angles in C. polyrhiza, 
there is no constant difference. In many perigynia of G. poly¬ 
rhiza the rostrum is more abrupt, or from a conical base ending 
in a cylindrical upper portion, the orifice of which is more dis¬ 
tinctly cleft than in C. prcecox. 
Cosson and Germain (Obs. PL Critiques Par. p. 15) remark, 
under G.prcecox, “ Dans les lieux ombrages les chaumes deviennent 
plus eleves, les feuilles s’allongent, la plupart egalent le chaume 
ou meme le depassent; e’est a cette modification qu’il faut rap- 
porter le G. umbrosa , Host. Cette modification elle-meme dans 
certains terrains compactes varie en ce que les stolons avortent, 
en ce que le collet de la racine se couronne des nervures persis- 
tantes des feuilles detruites ; a cet etat, elle constitue le G. longi- 
folia. Host.” 
Gaudin (Agrost. 183), whose G. prcecox, B., “ fructus pilis magis 
conspicuis hirti,” is, I think with Kunth, referable to G. polyrhiza, 
says, “ Nullus dubito quin planta /3 ad G. prcecocem pertineat. 
Est ejusdem varietas ex solo pinguiori umbrosoque orta;” and he 
quotes Haller, who says, “ Diversam habuissem speciem nisi 
transplantatio in hortum plantse vulgaris in siccissimis natte me 
docuisset earn mire matari.” 
A reasonable doubt, therefore, may, I think, be entertained 
whether there is any specific difference between the G. umbrosa 
and G. longifolia of Host, and whether both are not merely 
varieties of G. prcecox. 
The specimens figured are— 
Tab. . O. prcecox. 
n. 1. From Italy. Spic. feminese apice masculse. 
n. 2. From England. 
n. 3. From Sweden. 
n. 4. From Salem, North America. 
n. 5. From Mongolia. “ G. Sabynensis ,” from Fischer. 
n. 6. From Germany. “ G. reflexa," from Hoppe. 
Tab. . 0. polyrhiza, from Germany, the “ 0. umbrosa, 
Hoppe,” from him. Hoppe quotes Host, showing 
that he considered it as his plant, though Koch, etc., 
refer Host’s G. umbrosa to 0. prcecox, and Hoppe’s 
to G. polyrhiza. 
520. C. pumila (Thunberg); spica oblonga ferrugineo- 
purpurea, e spiculis 3-6 approximate, terminalibus 1-4, 
masculis cylindricis gracilibus, reliquis femineis subro- 
tundo-ovatis vel oblongis crassis, infima brevi exserte 
pedunculata ; bracteis foliaceis rigidis culmum longe 
superantibus ; stigmatibus 3 ; perigyniis turgide ovatis 
sensim late rostellatis bifurcatis basi contractis teretibus 
glabris leviter nervatis dense spongiosis ferrugineis, 
squama ovata acuta vel cuspidata purpurea margine albo- 
hyalina duplo longioribus.—C. pumila, Th. FI. Jap. 39 ; 
Wahl. Act. 152; Willd. 310; Sc/d. f. 112; Kunth,, 
517 ; Boott, Perry Exp. 2, 322 (1856) ; Steud. 239. 
C. littorea, Labill. Nov. Holl. 2, 69, t. 219 ; Eroion, 
Prod. 243 ; Kunth {acid,), 592; Hook. FI. N. Zeal. 284 ; 
Steud. 238. C. Urvillei, Brongn. in Diperrey, It. Bot. 
157 ; Kunth, 517 ; Steud. 238; Gay, FI. Chit. 220. C. 
fusca, Solander, mss. {Herb. Banks). 
Hab. In Asia et America meridionali, in arenosis ma- 
ritimis.—Japan, Th. ; Morrow {Herb. Gray). New 
Zealand, Australia, Tasmania, Korea, Wilford {Herb. 
Hooker). Chili, Burville {Herb. Mus. Par). 
Rhizoma longum, repens, stoloniferum. Culmus 3-10- 
pollicaris, ssepe omnino vaginis foliorum longis ferrugineo- 
purpureis clausus. Folia bractemque i-lf lin. lata, culmum 
longe superantia, carinata, rigida, apice triquetra, longe at- 
tenuata, curvata, marginibus prsecipue basi cartilagineo-as- 
perrimis, quasi erosis. Vagina bractea infima 3-6 lin. longa. 
Peclunculus infimus saepe subpollicaris, basi ocreatus. Spi¬ 
cules masculee |-1poll, longse, sub lineam late, infima nunc 
bracteata; femineee 6-14 lin. longse, 4-5 lin. late; suprema 
subinde parce sparsiflora; rarius spiculse omnes apice masculse. 
Squamee omnes purpurea:, margine albo-hyalinse ; masculee 
longiores, angustiores, lanceolate; superiores acuminate, nervo 
ssepe excurrente. Perigynium 3-3-lin. longum, lyy- f fi n lin . 
latum, breve obtuseque bifurcatum, ore margine hyalino, 
nervis superne evanidis demum in sulcis fere obliteratis. 
Achenium 1| lin. longum, lineam latum, ovale vel obovatum, 
triquetrum, ferrugineum, basi styli apiculatum.—In uno spe- 
cimine (e Nova Zelandia) racheola ligulata ferruginea, mar- 
gine hyalina, achenium aaquans. 
The specimens figured are— 
n. 1, From Moreton Island, 
n. 2, Tasmania. 
The Japanese specimens collected by Morrow I have noticed in 
Perry’s Exp.; and I have, through the kindness of M. Spach, 
since examined the specimens from Concepcion of Durville, and 
those from Port Chnsan of "Wilford in Herb. Hooker,—all of 
which I have no hesitation iii referring to Thunberg’s plant, 
which is figured by Schkuhr. The affinity of the species is with 
G. nutans, Host. 
521. C. sempervirens (Villars) ; spica abbreviata sac- 
