CYPERACEAE. 77 



nerved, ascending, lance-ovate, gradually narrowed into the bidentate beak; 

 scales narrow, acute or acuminate, much shorter than the perigynia. 

 In swamps and often in shallow water; common. 



Carex utriculata Boott. Glabrous; stems 40-100 cm. high, stout, smooth- 

 ish, the angles obtuse; leaves flat, 2-10 mm. wide, prominently nodulose, 

 usually exceeding the stems; bracts similar; upper 2-4 spikes linear and stam- 

 inate; lower 2-4 spikes pistillate, cylindric, erect, densely-flowered, peduncled, 

 3-12 cm. long; perigynia narrowly ovoid, somewhat inflated, each gradually 

 narrowed into a slender bidentate beak, straw-colored or brownish, 5-10 mm. 

 long; scales -lanceolate, acute or the lower awn-pointed. 



In swamps; common. By some botanists united with the European 

 C. rostrata Stokes, from which it is scarcely distinct. 



Carex amplifolia Boott. Stems 30-90 cm. tall, scabrous on the sharp 

 angles; leaves flat, 12-20 mm. broad, longer than the stem; spikes 5-7, the 

 uppermost staminate, 5-8 cm. long; pistillate spikes narrowly cylindrical, 

 straight or curved, 6-10 cm. long, dark olivaceous, the lower ones long-ped- 

 uncled; perigynium subglobose, glabrous, the beak with an oblique entire 

 orifice, spreading, rusty; scales purple with a green midrib, shorter and narrow- 

 er than the perigynia. 



In wet places in woods; common. First collected by Douglas on the Colum- 

 bia River. 



Carex oederi Retz. (C. flava recterostrata Bailey). Glabrous, tufted; 

 stems 10-40 cm. high, erect; leaves 1-3 mm. wide, often exceeding the stems; 

 bracts leaf-like; spikes 3-10, the uppermost staminate; pistillate spikes sessile 

 or short-peduncled, often close together, 5-15 mm. long, the upper ones often 

 staminate at the top; perigynia spreading, plump, broadly oval, each narrowed 

 at base and contracted into a bidentate beak much shorter than the body; 

 scales ovate, obtuse, much shorter than the perigynia. 



In wet places, not common. 



Carex accedens Holm. (C. spreta Bailey.) Glabrous; stems 40-50 cm. 

 high, erect, scabrous; leaves flat, 24 mm. broad, shorter than the stems; 

 pistillate spikes 2 or 3, oblong to ovoid, about 1 cm. long, sessile, contiguous; 

 perigynia broadly ellipsoid, thin, green, nerveless, minutely punctate, the very 

 short beak entire; scales black with white nerves, obtuse, not as broad as 

 the perigynia. 



In wet meadows, especially where overflowed; not common. First collected 

 near Portland, Oregon, by Howell. 



Carex atrata L. Tufted; stems erect or nodding above, 20-40 cm. high; 

 leaves flat, 3-4 mm. wide, shorter than the stems; lowest bract nearly as long 

 as the inflorescence; spikes 3-5, close together, oblong, densely-flowered, 1-2 

 cm. long, the terminal one staminate at the base, all peduncled; perigynia 

 oval or obovate, yellowish sprinkled with purple, each contracted at base 

 and abruptly narrowed into a short bidentate beak; scales ovate, acute, 

 dark purple with hyaline margins, longer than the perigynia. 



Mount Rainier, Allen; Mount Adams, Flett. 



Carex mertensii Prescott. Stems 40-90 cm. high, sharply angled; leaves 

 flat, 37 mm. broad, much shorter than the stems, conspicuously sheathing; 

 bracts leaf-like, sheathless or nearly so, the lower exceeding the inflorescence; 

 spikes 5-8, 2-5 cm. long, densely flowered, drooping on slender peduncles, 

 more or less staminate at base, the upper one sometimes entirely staminate; 

 perigynia broadly ovate, winged, very flat, pale, few-nerved, appressed; scales 

 dark purple with pale midrib, shorter than the perigynia; stigmas ,v 



Along streams in the mountains, 1000-1500 m. altitude. A very handsome 

 species, first found by Mertens at Sitka, Alaska. 



