qd) |. Carex L. 
Perennial grasslike herbs, commonly tufted, with triangular erect 
culms (stems) which are more or less roughened on the angles. Leaves 
S-ranked, flat or channelled, sheathing at the base, the sheaths varied, 
sometimes splitting on one side to form hairlike fibrils. Plants usually 
monoecious, the flowers each subtended by a small usually paper-like or 
chaffy scale, assembled into spikes of varied size and shape, either wholly 
staminate or pistillate, or mixed, the sexes then usually separated, the 
staminate flowers either in the upper or lower half. such spikes either 
sessile or stalked, either distinct and remote or assembled at the tip of 
the culm into a more or less dense cluster, rarely solitary, each subtended 
by a usually leaflike bract which may exceed the spike or the inflorescence , 
or which fay sometimes be inconspicuous, membranous and resembling the seales. 
Staminate flowers composed of 3 stamens with hairlike filaments and linear 
ee: anthers. Pistillate flowers formed of a single pistil bearing 1 style and 
rarely 4)Joither 2 or 3 stignas le being either jointed with the ovary (and 
achene) and at length’deciduous, or c mtinuous with the achene and hardened 
and persistent in fruit; the ovary and style are enveloped by a sac-like 
organ, the perigynium, which may be either ovoid and more or less inflated, 
flat and dise-like or flat on one face but rounded on the other, both sur- 
faces or one with or without parallel veins fron top to bottom, in all cases 
gq tapering into a beak which may be either vem minute or as long as the body 
of the perigynium or longer. Achene either triangular or flat and watch© 
shaped, c@gpletely enveloped by the perigynium which it rarely ruptures at 
qd | maturity. “Meture specimens are essential to a study of this cenus, 
Se ae Oe 
r 
Q 1a,8pikes solitary and terminal or appearing so/ achenes 
44 always triangular; ftigmas 3 * 
ate, 
2 2aPerigynia glabras 
4/ Seales subequal, 5-8 mn. long, rarely more 
é Pistillate flowers usually solitarv:or two at the. 
‘base of the spike, subtended by a scale which is 
7) ( acute or abruptly awned; perigynia greenish or fe tone Eaierass:) 
A Pirterimes}—— 
\ straw-color, almost beakless,tfim J. 0. Govyert 
¢ Pistillate flowers several et the bass of the spike, 
each subtended by a thin blunt soon deciduous 
10¢ scale; perigynia brown, tapering into a distinct 
\beak (Arshrechieenae}2 (sortinn—Arthreehiaenge)- o C. nigricans 
athe OE 
4/Scales very unequal, the lowsmost leaflike, 3-6 cm. 
¢ Zilog, resembling the bract which usually subtends a 
\ whole inflorescence, the others successively smallor 4 Ce. saximontana 
2 ab Perigynia hirtellous_(seripinac}section-—Seripinse}- 
q ‘/ Plants 40-70 cm. tall; leaves 2-3 mn. wide 4, Ce stenochlaena 
‘/ Plants 10-30 cm. tall; leaves needle-like,less than 
& 1 mn. wide x Ce. filifolia 
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