68 EEPOET OF THE STATE BOTANIST. 



spike about ¥ long on a slender, smooth stalk |^'--|' in 

 length ; scales oblong, blunt, light brown ; pistillate spikes 

 2-4, i'-4' in length, 5-10 subloosely flowered, scattered, all 

 but the highest stalked, the lowest usually on a filiform 

 recurved peduncle ; bracts mostly shorter than the culm; 

 perigynia obovate, lightly nerved, with a straight or recurved 

 beak, longer than the ovate acute brown scale. 



Grassy places. Kare. June. Albany and Cattaraugus counties. 



This has been regarded by some as a variety of the preceding 

 species, but it is easily separated by its short spikes. 



72. Carex blanda I>eio. 



Stems 8'-20' high, erect, triquetrous, rough on the angles ; 

 leaves l^'-S" wide, rough above the middle, equaling or shorter 

 than the culm ; staminate spike clavate, 4"-9'' long, sessile or on 

 a stalk I'-l' long ; pistillate spikes 3-4, 3"-9" long, subdensely 

 flowered, the upper 2 usually contiguous to the staminate spike 

 and sessile or nearly so, the lower pedunculate, erect, or the 

 lowest remote on a setaceous peduncle 2-3' long, suberect or 

 recurved; bracts leafy, mostly exceeding the culm; perigynia 

 obovate, with a long or short tapering base, prominently nerved, 

 terminating in a short recurved or abruptly bent beak, longer 

 than the ovate, acute or mucronate white scale, more or less 

 diverging at maturity. 



Woods and fields. Very common June. 



Karely among the large forms 1 or 2 of the lower spikes are 

 compressed ; occasionally there is but 1 spike, stalked or sessile 

 and contiguous to the staminate, in which case the latter is 

 usually long-peduncled, exceeding the bracts. This species has 

 been considered by some as a variety of C. laxiflora to which it 

 is joined in the Manual, but its short dense pistillate spikes and 

 commonly short sessile staminate spike give it such a distinct 

 aspect that it may be distinguished at a glance. 



73. Carex albursina Sheld. 



Stems 12-20' high, erect or spreading, flaccid below, acutely 



triangular and somewhat winged above, smooth; stem leaves 



2'-6' long, l|^"-3" wide, the radical longer, 8"-15" broad, smooth ; 



staminate spike linear, 3"-15" in length, mostly sessile and often 



