CAREX PALLESCENS. PALE CAREX.
CAREX pallescem; vaginis subnullis, bracteis foliaceis, spicis foemineis subpendulis pedunculate,
fructu obovato-elliptico obtusissimo (lineato) glabro.
CAREX pallescens. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1386. Gooden, in Tr. o f Linn. Soc. ml. 2. p. 186. Huds.
Ansi. p. 410. Lightf. Scot. p. 558. With. Bot. Arr. ed. 4. ml. 2. p. 103. FI. D a n .t. 1050.
I-Iofm. Germ. ed. 2. ml. 1. P . II. p. 234. Willd.Sp. PI. ml. 4. p. ^9 1 . Smith FI. Brit,
p. 989. Engl. Bot. t. 2185. Decand. FI. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 3, p. 127. FI. Gall. Syn. p. 144.
Host Gram. Austr. ml. 1. p. 74. ' Pers. Syn. PI. ml. 2. p. 545. Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2.
ml. 5. p. 250. Hook. FI. Scot. P. I. p. 266.
CAREX spicis foemineis pendulis, capsulis ovato-conicis. Hall. Helv. n. 1393.
GRAMEN cyperoides polystachyon flavicans, spicis brevibus prope summitatem caulis. Yellowish
Cyperus-grass with short spikes. Raii Syn. p. 419-
Dut. Bleclcachtige cyperbies. Fr. Laiche pAle. Germ. Das blasse Reidgras. Swed. Blekstarr.
Class and O rder. MONOECIA TRIANDRIA.
[Natural Order. CYPERACEÆ, Juss., Decand., Brown, Hook.]
G en . Char. Flores in amentoimbricatodispositi.—Masc. Cal. Gluma univalvis. Cor. nulla.—Foem. Crt/. Gluma
univalvis. Cor. monophylla, urceolata, ventricosa. Stigmata duo vel tria. N u x triquetra, corolla persistente
tecta.
G en. Ch a e. Flowers arranged in an imbricated catkin.—Male. Cal. Glume one-valved. Cor. none.—
F em. Cal. Glume one-valved. Cor. monophyllous, urceolate, ventricose. Stigmas two or three. J\ut triquetrous,
covered by the persistent corolla.
R adix perennis, cæspitosa, fibrosa, fibris ramosis fuscis. I
Culmi phires ex eadem radice, erecti, graciles, acute-
triquëtri, superne scabriusculi, inferne læves,
glabri, semipedales, fructiferi pedales ad sesqui-
‘ pedales.
Folia linearia, acuminata, viridia, culmo plerumque
breviora, canaliculata, glabra, ad marginem sca-
briuscula, inferne vaginata, vaginis striatis, pu-
bescentibus : Bracteæ foliaceæ, inferiore spicu-
las excedente, reliquis sensim minoribus: Vagina
brevissima, fere nulla. ^ I
Spica mascula unica, terminalis, erecta, oblonga :
Squamæ obovatæ, acutiusculæ, pallide-fuscoe,
dorso linea longitudinali luteo-viridi notatoe.
Stamina tria.
Spicæ poemineæ, plerumque tresV approximate, supe-
riore subsessili, inferioribus pedunculatis (fructi-
feris), magis minusve nutantibus : Squamæ ut in
mare, vel paululum breviores pallidioresque :
Germen ovato-rotundatum : Stigmata tria, pu-
bescentia: Fructus obovato-ellipticus, obtusus,
vix apiculatus, glaber, viridi-fuscus, lineis satura-
tioribus longitudinaliter pictus: Semen ovato-
rotundatum, triquetrum.
Root perennial, thickly fibrous, the fibres branched and
• brown.
Culms many from the same root, erect, slender, sharply
triquetrous, above roughish, beneath smooth and
glabrous, about half a foot high, the fruit-bearing
individuals from one to six feet high.
Leaves linear, acuminated, green, generally shorter
than the culm, channelled, glabrous, rather rough
at the margin, beneath sheathing, the sheaths
striated, downy: Bracteas leafy, with the lower
one longer than the spicules, the rest gradually,
smaller: Sheath very short, scarcely existing.
Male spik e single, terminal, erect, oblong: Scales
obovate, rather acute, of a pale brown colour,
marked on their back with a longitudinal yellow-
green line.
Stamens three.
Female spikes mostly three in number, approximated,
the upper one almost sessile, the lower ones pedunculated
(fructiferous), more or less drooping:
Scales as in the male, or a little shorter and
paler: Germen ovato-rotundate: Stigmas three,
downy: Fruit obovato-elliptic, obtuse, scarcely
apiculated, glabrous, of a yellowish-brown colour,
longitudinally streaked with darker lines: Seed
between ovate and rounded, triquetrous.
Fi<r. l. Male flower. Fig. 2. Female ditto. Fig. 3. Fruit within the scale, with the persistent stigma.
°pia-' 4 Fruit removed from a scale, from which the stigmas have fallen, leaving an extremely short and imperfect
rostellum or mucro. Fig. 5. Seed removed from its urceolus, and terminated by the persistent stigma.
— All more or less magnified.
A species by no means uncommon in moist woods and marshy places, in various parts of the kingdom; and
well distinguished from its affinities by its sheathless bracteas, pedunculated and slightly drooping, oblong, female
spikelets, together with the pale coloured scales, and the almost exactly elliptical glabrous fruit, which is longitudinally
marked with dark brown lines. The leaves are of a rather deep and bright yellowish green colour, not m
the least glaucous. 176