3 88 



CYPERACEAE. 



VOL. I. 



83. Carex Jamesii Schwein. James' Sedge. 

 Fig. 950. 



Carex Jamesii Schwein. Ann. Lye. N. Y. i : 67. 1824. 

 Carex Steudelii Kunth, Enum. 2 : 480. 1837. 



Similar to the preceding species, but the leaves 

 rather narrower, soft, spreading or ascending, very 

 much surpassing the spikes, the lowest mere clasping 

 sheaths. Spikes androgynous, one or more of them 

 filiform-stalked, the terminal staminate portion very 

 slender, the pistillate flowers usually 2 or 3 and slightly 

 separated; body of the perigynium subglobose, i" 

 in diameter, contracted at the base, abruptly tipped 

 by a subulate rough beak of more than its own 

 length ; lower scales bract-like, f oliaceous, commonly 

 much overtopping the spike, the upper shorter and 

 sometimes not exceeding the perigynia ; stigmas 3. 



In dry woods and thickets, southern Ontario and New 

 York to Michigan and Iowa, south to West Virginia, 

 Missouri and Kansas. April-May. 



84. Carex durifolia Bailey. Back's Sedge. Fig. 951. 



Carex Backii Boott ; Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 2 : 210. pi. 209. 

 1840. Not C. Backana Dewey, 1836. 



Carex durifolia Bailey, Bull. Torr. Club 20: 428. 1893. 



Similar to the preceding species, glabrous, culms 

 from very short to 10' high. Leaves ascending or 

 spreading, 6'-i2' long, ii"-3" wide, very much over- 

 topping the spikes ; spikes 1-3, nearly basal, androgy- 

 nous, i or 2 of them long-stalked, the staminate 

 flowers few, inconspicuous, the pistillate 2-6, sub- 

 tended by leafy bract-like elongated scales which 

 nearly enclose the inflorescence ; perigynia oval, 

 smooth, gradually tapering into a stout two-edged 

 beak nearly or quite as long as the body, which is 

 about ii" long and i" thick; stipmas r 



In woods and thickets, eastern Quebec to Assiniboia, 

 south to Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Nebraska. 

 May-June. 



85. Carex leptalea Wahl. Bristle-stalked Sedge. Fig. 952. 



Carex leptalea Wahl. Kongl. Vet. Acad. Handl. (II.) 24: 



139. 1803. 



Carex polytrichoides Muhl. ; Willd. Sp. PI. 4: 213. 1805. 

 Carex Harperi Fernald, Rhodora 8: 181. 1906. 



Light green and glabrous, culms filiform, smooth, 

 erect or spreading, 6'-24' long. Leaves very narrow, 

 mostly shorter than the culm ; spike solitary, ter- 

 minal, androgynous, narrowly linear, 2"-8" long, 

 i"-ii" thick; perigynia few, narrowly oblong, light 

 green, finely many-nerved, narrowed at the base, 

 obtuse and beakless at the summit, ii"-2i" long, 

 i"-!" thick ; scales membranous, the lowest cuspi- 

 date, sometimes attenuated into a subulate awn 

 nearly as long as the spike, the upper short-acumi- 

 nate to very obtuse, much shorter than perigynia ; 

 stigmas 3. 



In bogs and swamps. Newfoundland to Alaska, Florida, 

 Louisiana, Texas, Colorado and Oregon. Ascends to 

 4300 ft. in North Carolina. June-Aug. 



