388 CYPERACEiE. Carex. 



less, rather abruptly acute, with a very short beak. Achenium orbicular-obovate, pointed with 

 the continuous style. Stigmas long and downy. 



Wet meadows ; very common. FL May. Fr. June. I have adopted the views of my 

 excellent friend Dr. Boott, respecting this and its allied species. -He has studied the genus 

 Carex with profound attention, and under most favorable circumstances ; yet I must confess 

 that the C. angustata is very difficult to distinguish from the European C. acuta. 



40. Carex CjEspitosa, Linn. ? Smaller Bog Sedge. 



Staminate spikes solitary or sometimes 2, cylindrical-oblong ; pistillate mostly 3, cylindrical, 

 obtuse, distant, densely flowered, often staminate at the summit, nearly erect, sessile ; peri- 

 gynium elliptical or oval, with a very short entire point, obscurely nerved, mostly longer than 

 the oblong obtuse blackish scale ; culm nearly smooth. — Linn. sp. 2. p. 978 ? ; Schk. Car. 

 t. Aa. & Bb. /. ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 38 ; Muhl. gram. p. 264 ; Schwein. ^ Torr. I. c.p. 359 ; 

 Dew. Car. I. c. 10. p. 266 ; Beck, hot. p. 442 ; Boott, I. c. p. 217 ; Kunth, enum. 2. /». 411. 

 C. concolor, R. Br. in app. Parry's 1st voy. pp. 183 ^ 308. C. Goodenovii, Gay, fide 

 Tuckerm. Car. p. 11. C. lenticularis, Michx. fl. 2. p. 172? 



Culms 12—18 inches high, not cespitose, triquetrous, slightly rough on the angles above. 

 Leaves light green, smoothish except on the margin. Staminate spikes about an inch long ; 

 the scales obtuse, brown. Fertile spikes 3-4, sometimes staminate at the summit, 1 - 1 J 

 inch long ; the lowest on a short peduncle from a naked shealh. Bracteal leaves somewhat 

 auriculate at the base. Fertile scales nearly black, with a green keel. Perigynium with an 

 entire somewhat tubular orifice, green, compressed. Achenium broadly ovate-lenticular, dull. 



Banks of streams, and in swamps ; northern and western counties. Fl. May. Fr. June. 

 Differs from the preceding (to which, in some of its forms, it is nearly allied) in its smaller 

 size, thicker spikes, and smoothish culm. It also grows in patches, not in tufts like C. acuta. 



41. Carex aquatilis, Wakl. Water Sedge. 



Sterile spikes several or sometimes only one, erect ; fertile mostly 3, nearly sessile, 

 cylindrical, dense, somewhat clavate and often staminate at the summit ; perigynium obovate- 

 elliplical, with a very short beak, the orifice entire, about as long the ovate-lanceolate rather 

 acute scale ; culm smoothish. — Wahl. act. Holm. 1803, p. 165 ; Dew. Car. I. c. 10. p. 267. 

 /. E. /. 16 ; Torr. Cyp. p. 400 ; Kunth, enum. 2. p. 413 ; Boott, I. c. 2. p. 219. 



Culm about 2 feet high, triquetrous, nearly smooth. Leaves pale green and glaucous, 

 smoothish. Sterile spikes usually 2 or 3 ; the scales linear-oblong, rather obtuse. Fertile 

 spikes 3-5, nearly sessile, erect, 1-2 inches long, densely flowered, tapering toward the 

 base. Scales pale brown, with a greenish midrib : lower ones about the length of the peri- 

 gynium, and often mucronate ; the upper ones shorter. Perigynium smooth, acute at the base, 

 very obscurely nerved ; the beak extremely short and smooth, yellowish green. Achenium 

 obovate, lenticular, smooth. Stigmas long and very pubescent. 



