402 CYPERACE^. Carex. 



Culm usually about a span high, but sometimes two feet, triquetrous, very smooth, leafy 

 below. Leaves a line or more in breadth, smooth and somewhat glaucous. Sterile spike 

 6-8 lines long, on a straight filiform peduncle : scales ovate-lanceolate, mucronate, brown 

 with a green keel. Fertile spikes 6-8 lines long and 3-4 lines in diameter, rather loosely 

 flowered, at first horizontal, but finally pendulous. Scales variable in length, sometimes obtuse, 

 deep chestnut-brown or rarely green. Perigynium angular in front, acutely margined, ob- 

 scurely few-nerved on the back, minutely beaked. Achenium ovoid-triquetrous, nearly smooth. 

 Style continuous. 



Sphagnous swamps, northern and western counties. Fl. June. Fr. July. A common 

 species in the northern parts of Europe. 



69. Carex livida, Willd. Livid Sedge. 



Sterile spike solitary, oblong, pedunculate ; fertile spikes 1-3, on exserted peduncles, 

 cylindrical-oblong, somewhat distant, rather loosely flowered ; perigynia ovoid-oblong, some- 

 vfhat triquetrous, smooth, obtusish, entire at the orifice, about the length of the ovate-oblong 

 mostly obtuse scale. — Willd. sp. 4. p. 285 ; Schk. Car. t. Ssss./. 21 1 ; Gray in ann. lye. 

 N. York, 3. p. 235 ; Kunth, enum. 2. p. 460. C. Grayana, Dew. Car. I. c. 25. p. 141. t. S. 

 /. 59 ; Kunth, I. c. C. limosa, var. livida, Wahl. act. Holm. 1803. p. 162. 



Culm 8-15 inches high, obtusely triangular and striate, nearly smooth. Leaves rigid, 

 glaucous. Sterile spike about three fourths of an inch long ; the scales ovate, obtuse, chestnut- 

 colored. Fertile spikes mostly 2, half an inch or more in length, on short exserted peduncles, 

 an inch or two apart, or rather approximated. Scales varying from one third shorter to nearly 

 the length of the perigynia, and from dark chestnut to light brown. Perigynia nearly 2 lines 

 long, without a beak, but the minute orifice slightly produced, membranaceous, almost nerve- 

 less. Achenium ovoid-triquetrous, brownish when mature. Style continuous. 



Sphagnous swamps, Oriskany [Dr. Gray ^- Dr. Knieskern). Fl. June. Fr. July. Our 

 plant seems to differ in scarcely any respect from C. livida of the north of Europe. 



tttt Spiku gTtm. 



70. Carex flava, Linn. Large Yellow Carex. 



Sterile spike solitary, on a short peduncle ; fertile 2-3, roundish-ovoid, thick and compact, 

 rather distant, the peduncles a little longer than the sheaths ; perigynia ovoid, spreading, the 

 beaks bifid and more or less recurved, shorter than the ovate-lanceolate scale. — Linn. sp. 2. 

 p. 975 ; Schk. Car. t. H. /. 36 ; Michx. fl. 2. p. 171 ; Dew. Car. I. c. 9. p. 65 ; Schwein. 

 4- Torr. Car. I. c. p. 333 ; Kunth, enum. 2. p. 446. 



Culm 6-15 inches high, rather stiff, leafy below, smooth, triquetrous. Leaves 1-2 lines 

 wide, of a yellowish tinge like the rest of the plant. Sterile spike on a more or less distinct 

 peduncle, sometimes androgynous ; the scales oblong-lanceolate, brown. Fertile spikes 6-8 

 lines long and 5 in diameter, usually 3 ; the two upper mostly approximated ; the lowest an 

 inch or two distant, and with a longer peduncle. Often there are but two spikes, which are 

 either approximated or distant. Scales brownish, scarcely more than half the length of the 



