SEDGE FAMILY 325 



CAREX Linne 1753 SEDGE 



(Lat. car ex, sedge, perhaps from Gr. keirein, to cut, from the sharp leaves) 



PI. 45, fig. 1-17. 



Spikes (spikelets) pistillate, staminate or both pistillate and staminate, 

 solitary or in racemes, panicles or dense clusters; perianth none, staminate 

 flowers with 3 stamens, pistillate flowers a single pistil with style and 2-3 

 stigmas within a bract or perigynium, achene 3-angled or lens-shaped ; flow- 

 ers monoecious or dioecious, solitary in the axil of the scale; leaves 3- 

 ranked; stems mostly 3-angled; grass-like perennials, usually from a root- 

 stock. 



1. Spike single, terminal, staminate above, pistil- 

 late below, except in dioecious plants 

 a. Stigmas 3 



(1) Perigynia horizontal and spreading or re- 



flexed when mature, mostly lanceolate 



(a) Leaves flat; rootstock creeping, the 



stems mostly in rows C. nigricans 



(b) Leaves inrolled; stems tufted, the root- 



stocks matted C.pyrenaica 



(2) Perigynia erect or ascending, not hori- 



zontal 



(a) Perigynia rough or hairy 



x. Spike buff, staminate and pistillate; 



perigynia roughened ; stems tufted - C. filifolia 



y. Spike purple-brown, staminate or pistil- 

 late ; perigynia hairy ; with creeping 

 rootstocks C. scirpoidea 



(b) Perigynia entirely smooth 



x. Scales 1-3 cm. long, leaf-like, hiding 



the large green perigynia C. durifolia 



y. Scales not large and leaf-like, less than 



1 cm. long 

 (x) Stems 2-6 in. high; spikes or 



perigynia brown 

 m. Perigynia erect when ripe, hidden 



by the scales ; at 1 1-14000 ft. C. rupestris 

 n. Perigynia spreading and visible 



when ripe ; at 7-10000 ft. C. obtusdta 



(y) Stems 8-16 in. high; perigynia, and 

 spikes usually green 



