246 



Cyperaceae 



Carex 



o ~T5 

 Map 496 



Carex plantaginea Lam. 



21. § LAXIFLORAE 



Bract-sheaths, base of culms, and staminate scales strongly red-tinged.* 



Leaf blades of fertile culms rudimentary, the sheaths concave at the mouth; bracts 



bladeless; perigynia 4-5 mm long 73. C. plantaginea. 



Leaf blades of fertile culms well-developed, the sheaths prolonged upward at the 



mouth; bracts with blades well-developed; perigynia 5.3-6 mm. long 



74. C. Careyana. 



Bract-sheaths not red-tinged, base of culms rarely so; staminate scales tinged greenish 

 white to dull reddish brown. 

 Perigynia sharply triangular, short-tapering at the base, closely 35-50-nerved. 



Spikes erect, nearly sessile; leaf blades very smooth except for the margins, the 

 larger 12-25 mm wide, those of the fertile culms much smaller than those of 



the sterile 75. C. platyphylla. 



Spikes drooping on fiiliform peduncles; leaf blades hispidulous on the veins, 2-12 

 mm wide, those of the fertile culms moderately smaller than those of the 

 sterile. 

 Staminate spike sessile or subsessile, inconspicuous; pistillate spikes approxi- 

 mate; lowest bract subspathaceous, exceeding the inflorescence 



76. C. abscondita. 



Staminate spike peduncled, conspicuous; pistillate spikes scattered; lowest bract 

 not at all spathaceous, not exceeding the inflorescence. 

 Pistillate spikes without a staminate flower at the base; leaf blades 2-5 mm 



wide, erect, green 77. C. digitalis. 



Pistillate spikes with 1-2 staminate flowers at the base; leaf blades 5-12 mm 

 wide, weak, glaucous green. 

 Angles of the culms blunt, minutely serrulate only below the bracts; edges 

 of the bract-sheaths entire; perigynia tapering at the apex, short- 

 beaked 78. C. laxiculmis. 



Angles of the culms sharp, minutely serrulate; edges of the bract-sheaths 

 minutely serrulate; perigynia rounded or round-tapering at the apex, 

 blunt or abruptly very short-beaked. . . .78a. C. laxiculmis var. cojndata. 

 Perigynia obtusely triangular (at least below), long-tapering at the base. 



Bract-sheaths smooth on the edges or shallowly serrulate; beak of perigynium 

 straight or slightly oblique. 



* This color is often called "purple" in Carex descriptions. It is a close match with 

 Ridgway's "Bordeaux" which is 90% red and 10% violet. 



