Monograph of North American Car ices. 353 



proximate subradical sheaths ; sometimes the peduncles are so short 

 that the spikes are nearly concealed by the dense tuft of leaves, but 

 more frequently they are from half an inch to an inch or more in length ; 

 glumes ovate, cuspidate, green. Fruit ovate, a little contracted at the 

 base, triquetrous, pubescent under a lens, but nearly smooth when old ; 

 rostrum acuminate, bidentate at the orifice. 



Hab. On rocky hill sides, particularly in mountainous dis- 

 tricts. In Williamstown, Massachusetts. Prof. Deivey. 

 Abundant along the Connecticut river. Common in the 

 Highlands of New-York. In Pennsylvania. Muhlenberg. 

 Flowers in the latter end of April, and in the beginning of 

 May. Grows in dense clusters. 



Obs. 1. Schkuhr's figure of this species is very good, but it 

 does not represent the upper sessile spike, which is a 

 very constant character, except in the dwarf state of the 

 plant. 2. The fertile spikes appear to be subumbellate, 

 on account of the radical peduncles being of nearly equal 

 length. Sometimes they are crowded in clusters and 

 almost sessile among the leaves. 



90. Carex miliacea, Muhlenberg. 



C spicis fertilibus tribus, graciliter cylindraceis, cernuis, pe- 

 dunculis filiformibus ; fructibus ovatis, triquetris, enerviis, 

 breve rostratis, ore integris, gluma ovato-lanceolata suba> 

 qualibus. 



C miliacea, JVilld. sp. pi. iv. p. 290. Schk. car. t. Ooo. f. 

 151. Purshfl.i. p. 41. Muhl. gram. p. 257. Elliott sk. ii. 

 p. 552. Dewey car. 1. c. x. p. 30. 



C. prasina^ JVahlenberg. jRees' Cyclop. No. 137. 



Culm about 15 inches high, slender, erect, compressed-triquetrous, leafy, 

 nearly smooth. Leaves rather narrow, as long as the culm, scabrous on 

 the margin. Steri'e spike slender, an inch or more in length, thickening 

 towards the summit, which frequently bears some fertile florets ; pedun- 

 cle filiform, three fourths of an inch lon<J; glumes oblong, loosely im- 

 bricate, mucronate and carinate ; the sides pale brown ; keel green. 

 Fertile spikes very constantly 3, subapproxiaiafce, filiformly cylindrical, 



