304 Monograph of North American Carices. 



17. Carex Muhlenbergii, Schkuhr. 



C. spiculis alternis subquinis, ovatis, conferto-approximatit, 

 basi bracteatis ; fructibus lato-ovatis, compressis, nervosis, 

 bifidis, subdivergentibus, margine scabris, gluma ovata 

 mucronata paulo brevioribus. 



C. Muhlenbergii, Willi, sp.pl. iv. p. 231. Schk. car. t. Yyy, 

 f. 178. (opt.) Purshfl. i. p. 36. Muhl. gram. p. 221. 

 Dewey 1. c. viii. p. 265. Elliott sk. ii. p. 529. 



Culm 1 — 2 feet high, firm and thicker than is usual in this genus, triangu- 

 lar with the sides a little convex, scabrous on the angles above, smooth 

 and leafy below. Leaves broad-linear, about as long as the culm, smooth, 

 with the exception of a slight roughness on the margin. Spikes 5 — 7, 

 the uppermost one often almost entirely composed of sterile florets, 

 sometimes so closely approximate as to form a kind of head. At the 

 base of each (except of the uppermost) is an ovate bractea, terminating 

 in a scabrous awn longer than the spike. Sterile glumes lanceolate, acu- 

 minate; fertile ovate, long-mucronate, subciliate. Fruit much com- 

 pressed, somewhat concavo-convex, minutely ciliate on the distinct mar- 

 gin, bidentate, nerved, at length diverging. 



Hab. Along borders of rocky woods, generally in moun- 

 tainous districts ; abundant in the highlands of New-York, 

 growing in company with C. cephalophora. It has not 

 occurred to me at Salem, but Mr. Elliott has recorded it 

 as a southern species. Flowers in the middle of May. 



Obs. Allied to C. cephalophora, but the spikes never form 

 so distinct a head, and it differs essentially in the fruit and 

 glumes. The whole plant is dark green. 



18. Carex stipata, Muhlenberg. 



C. spica composita, oblonga; spiculis plurimis (10 — 15) ob- 

 longis aggregatis, bracteatis ; bracteis spiculee paulo lon- 

 gioribus ; fructibus lanceolatis, inferne subteretibus, gla- 

 brisve, patentibus, apice bidentatis, scabris, glumis dupTo 

 longioribus 



