Monograph of North American Carices. 305 



C. stipata, Willi, sp. pi. iv. p. 233. Schk. car. t. Hhh. f. 



132. Purshfl. i. p. 35. Muhl. gram. p. 220. Dewey car. 



1. c. vii. p. 271. Elliott sk. ii. p. 529. 

 C. vulpinoidea, Mich. fi. ii. p. 169. 



Culm 1 — 3 feet high, rather thick and succulent, triquetrous, smooth, 

 except on the edges which are scabrous, leafy above. Leaves usually 

 shorter than the culm, (longer when young) broad-linear ; sheaths trans- 

 versely veined. Spike formed of numerous crowded and aggregated 

 spikelets, the lower ones diverging. At the base of each is usually a 

 subulate bractea, shorter than the spikelet. Glumes lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate, carinate, scabrous, shorter than the fruit. Fruit oblong-lanceo- 

 late, ending in a long bifid apex, which is scabrous and marked by pretty 

 strong nerves. 



Hab. In wet meadows and swamps ; common throughout 

 the United States. Flowers in the end of April. 



Obs. Nearly allied to C. vulpina of Europe, but differs in 

 its less compound spike, &tc. 



19. Carex sparganioides, Muhlenberg. 



C. spieulis suboctonis, multifloris, supremis approximatis, 

 infimis subdistantibus, bracteatis ; fructibus ovatis, com- 

 pressis, acuminatis, bifidis, divergentibus, margine scabris. 

 gluma ovata mucronata duplo longioribus. 



C. sparganioides, Willd. sp. pi. iv. p. 237. Schk. car. Lll. t. 

 140. (opt.) Purshfl. ii. p. 36. Muhl. gram. p. 233. Dewey 

 car. 1. c. viii. p. 265. Elliott sk. ii. p. 531. 



Culm about 2 feet high, triquetrous, scabrous, leafy below, fistulous. 

 Leaves broad-linear, generally exceeding the culm ; sheaths white. 

 Spikes numerous, (8 — 10) clustered above, 2 — 4 of the lowest rathe 

 remote, with ovate scabrous bractea at the base. Sterile florets few . 

 Glumes ovate, mucronate, yellowish green. Fruit much compressed 

 above, horizontal, and often a little reflexed, not nerved, yellowish when 

 mature, distinctly bidentate, minutely ciliate on the margin. 



Hab. In marshy meadows; not common, but found in most 

 parts of the United States. Flowers about the end of 

 May. 



