[ 3 r . 2069 ]
C A R E X capillaris.
Capillary Carex.
MONOECIA Triandria.
G e n . C h a r . Male, Catkin imbricated. Cal. o f one
scale. Cor. none. Female, Catkin imbricated.
Cal. o f one scale. Cor. none. Stigmas 2 or 3 .
Seed clothed with a swelling tunic.
S p e c . C h a r . Common sheath but half the length of
the flower-stalks. Female spikes ovate, rather loose,
drooping. Fruit sharp-pointed.
S y n . Carex capillaris. Linn. Sp. PI. 1 3 8 6 . Sm. FI.
Brit. 9 8 5 . Gooden. Tr. o f L. Soc. v. 2. 1 8 0 . Light/.
5 5 7 . Huds. 6 5 1 . With. 101. Hull. 2 0 7 . Dicks.
H. Sicc.fasc. 9 . 14. Winch. Guide, v. 1. 8 4 .
Cyperoides alpinum, spicis seminiferis pendulis, binis
' in summo caule. Seguier. Heron, v. 3 . 8 3 . t. 3 .ƒ. 1.
T h e Rev. Dr. Stuart found this rare Carex on some of the
Highland mountains of Breadalbane, and communicated it
to Mr. Lightfoot, through whom it first became known as a
Scottish plant. It has since been sent to Mr. Sowerby from
the county of Durham, by the Rev. Mr. Harriman. It usually
grows in bushy rather moist places, flowering in July or
August.
Root perennial, fibrous. Stem erect, 3 or 4 inches high,
roundish, striated, smooth, naked, or nearly so. Leaves
scarcely 2 inches long, mostly radical, narrow, acute, dark-
green, slightly keeled, rough-edged towards the top only.
Principal bractea like the leaves but smaller, terminating the
stem, erect, sheathing at the base, embracing a few smaller
inner ones, along with all the flower-stalks, which are about
twice its own length, 3 or 4 in number, capillary, triangular,
rough, sometimes separated from each other by an accidental
elongation of the stem. .Male spike erect, linear, pale, of
about 10 flowers: female 2 or 3, drooping or pendulous,
ovate, lax, not half an inch long. Glumes ovate, brown,
pale-edged. Stigmas 3 . Fruit dark-brown, ovate, triangular,
smooth, with a sharp beak. Seed elliptical, with 3 sharp
angles.