Fig. 279: Carex complanata: a, top of plant, X 1; b, scale, X 17; c, perigynium, 

 X 17; d, achene, X 17. (Courtesy of R. K. Godfrey). 



72. Carex caroliniana Schwein. 



Tufted perennial; culms 3-6 dm. long, basally about 1 mm. thick, erect, the 

 basal sheaths dark-purplish-black quickly fading to brown; foliage essentially 

 glabrous; blades 1.5-3 mm. broad at the broadest point, usually the uppermost one 

 surpassing the spikes; spikes usually 3, overlapping; terminal spike gynecandrous 

 with a cylindrical distal pistillate portion 8-13 mm. long and 4-4.5 mm. thick 

 (with scales ovate, brownish-white, hyaline, 1.5-2 mm. long, shorter than the 

 perigynia) and a long-attenuate basal staminate portion 2-3 mm. thick with 

 ellipsoid acute brownish-white-hyaline scales 2-2.5 mm. long; the lower spikes all 

 pistillate, cylindrical, 6-20 mm. long, 4-4.5 mm. thick, with 16 to 40 closely 

 packed spreading perigynia; bracts not sheathing, that of the lowest spike 1-2 mm. 

 broad, usually exceeding the terminal spike, that of the middle spike much- 

 reduced, that of the terminal one essentially absent; perigynia obovoid, nearly 

 round in transection, 1.8-2.3 mm. long, spreading, fuscous or reddish-brown, 

 membranous, with 8 to 15 nerves (2 stronger than the rest), inflated, basally 

 rounded, apically short-conic and passing abruptly to the short tubular bidentate 

 beak or in some specimens essentially beakless; achene triangular, 2 mm. long, 

 1.5 mm. wide, bent-apiculate, jointed with the style which entirely withers after 

 anthesis. 



In rich open woods near streams in sandy soil, wet lowlands, swamps, river 

 flood plain forests, in Okla. (Waterfall), in e., s.e. and n.-cen. Tex. (Jasper, 

 Jefferson, Kaufman and Walker cos.), spring; Pa. to Ind. and s. to N.C., Tenn., 

 Ark., Okla. and Tex. (probably also La.). 



73. Carex viridula Michx. Green sedge. Fig. 280. 



Culms densely cespitose, 1-4 dm. tall, smooth, bluntly triangular; leaf blades 

 dull-green, grooved, 1.5-3 mm. wide; terminal spike usually staminate, sessile or 

 short-peduncled, 3-15 mm. long, 1.2-3 mm. wide; pistillate spikes 2 to 6, closely 

 aggregated and sessile or the lower ones separate and short-peduncled, oblong or 

 globose-oblong, 5-1 1 mm. long, 4-7 mm. wide; bracts leaflike, the lower one 

 extending well beyond the tips of the culms, strongly sheathing; scales broadly 

 ovate, shorter than perigynia, obtuse to acute or short-cuspidate, hyaline with 



547 



