SEDGE FAMILY 



313 



74. Carex sub-bracteata Mackenzie. 



Small-bracted Sedge. 



Fig. 



/? 



0. 



Carex suh-bractcata Mackenzie, Bull. Toney Club 43: 612. 1917. 



Cespitose, the rootstocks short-creeping, tough, black hbrillose, 

 the cuhns 3.5-12 dm. high, stoutish, smooth, obtusely triangular. 

 Leaf-blades 2.5-4 mm. wide; head 1.5-2.5 cm. long, globose or 

 ovoid, the spikes 5-10, gvnaecandrous, closely aggregated, ovoid, 

 6-10 mm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, the perigynia 10-20, appressed or 

 in age appressed-ascending; one or two of the lower bracts 

 conspicuous, dilated at base; scales ovate, obtuse or acutish, 

 shorter than perigynia, reddish-brown with lighter center and 

 hyaline margins ; perigynia narrowly ovate, thick, plano-convex, 

 3.'5-4.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, dull green or soon yellowish 

 brown, finely few-nerved dorsally, nerveless or essentially so 

 ventrallv, round-tapering at base, narrowly margined (serrulate 

 above) from base, contracted into a beak one-third length of 

 body, the beak chestnut tinged, obliquely cut dorsally and hyaline 

 at apex; achenes lenticular, jointed with the slender style; stig- 

 mas 2. 



In the Coast Ranges of California from Santa Barbara County north to 

 Mendocino County; Upper Sonoran and Transition Zones. Type locality: 

 Oakland, California. 



75. Carex gracilior ^^lackenzie. 



751. 



Slenderer Sedge. 



Fig. 



Cat-ex gracilior Mackenzie, Bull. Torrey Club 43: 614. 1917. 



Cespitose from slender short-creeping black fibrillose rootstocks, 

 the culms 3-6 dm. high, slender, smooth or nearly so on the angles. 

 Leaves on lower third of culm, but not bunched, the blades 1-2 mm. 

 wide, 0.5-2 dm. long; head narrow^ or oblong, 12-20 mm. long, the 

 spikes 3-6, gynaecandrous, aggregated or lower 1-2 more or less 

 separate, suborbicular, bluntish, 5-8 mm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, the 

 4-12 perigvnia ascending or spreading-ascending. with conspicuous 

 beaks ; lovver bract developed ; scales ovate, obtusish or acutish, 

 shorter than perigynia, chestnut brown with lighter midvein and 

 narrow^ hyaline margins; perigynia narrowly ovate, thick, plano- 

 convex, 3!5-4.5 mm. long. 1.5 mm. wide, several nerved dorsally, 

 nerveless or nearly so ventrally, round-tapering at base, tapering 

 into the slender beak half length of body, the apex chestnut browp 

 and hyaline tipped, obliquely cut dorsally at mouth; achenes lenti- 

 cular, "jointed with the slender style; stigmas 2. 



In the Coast Ranges of California from San Mateo County to Mendocino 

 County; Transition Zone. Type locality: Cloverdale, Sonoma County, Cali- 

 fornia. 



76. Carex paucifructus Mackenzie. 

 Few-fruited Sedge. Fig. 752. 



Carex faucifructus Mackenzie, Bull. Torrey Club 43: 615. 1917. 



Densely cespitose, the culms 1-2.5 dm. high, erect, stifif, 

 smooth, sharplv triangular. Leaves bunched above the base, 

 the blades 1.5-3 mm. wide, 3-7 cm. long; head 1-2 cm. long, 

 ovoid or oblong, the spikes 4-8, gynaecandrous, aggregated, 

 ovoid, tapering at base, the basal staminate flowers rather 

 conspicuous, round-tapering at apex, 6-9 mm. long, 4.d mm. 

 wide, the perigvnia 6-12, appressed or appressed-ascend- 

 ing, the beaks not conspicuous; lowest bract much shorter 

 than head; scales ovate, shorter than perigvnia, chestnut 

 with lighter midvein and conspicuous hyaline margins; 

 perigynia ovate, thick, strongly plano-convex. 4 mm. long, 

 1.5 mm. wide, nerveless ventrally, finely many-nerved dor- 

 sally, margined to the round-tapering base, serrulate above, 

 tapering into the beak one-third length of body, the tip 

 slender, reddish tipped, obliquely cut dorsally; achenes 

 lenticular, jointed with the slender style; stigmas 2. 



Known only in the Sierra Nevada from Sierra and Eldorado 

 Counties, California; Canadian Zone. Type locality: Devil's Basin, 

 Eldorado County, California. 



