BSPOBT OF THE STATE BOTANIST 



171 



"Woods and banks. Common. May, June. 



This species is characterized by its commonly prostrate growth, 

 inconspicuous bracts and concealed fruit. 



It inhabits chiefly dry shaded situations, but is found in 

 meadows, on banks, and amongst shrubbery in rocky places. 



Pistillate spikes 3-4, few flowered, on erect or drooping partly 

 included stalks ; bracts obsolete or as long as their respective 

 sheaths ; perigynia minute, oblong, obscurely nerved, with a bent 

 or straight beak ; olive-brown at maturity ; leaves short, 

 setaceous or about 1" wide. 



Leaves subradical, not setaceous, capillariis* 



Leaves radical, setaceous eburnea, 



81 . Carex capillaris L. 



Stems capillary, 4-12' high, erect, smooth ; leaves shorter than 

 the culm, 1' wide or less, rough on the margins, the radical ones 

 numerous, flat, soft, often involute when old ; staminate spike 

 clavate, '-i" -3 " long, its stalk 3"- 9" m length; pistillate spikes 2-3, 

 scattered, the uppermost usually erect and equaling the staminate 

 spike, the lower on drooping peduncles 3"- 12" long; bracts leaf- 

 like, as long as their respective sheaths or more, the lowest 

 usually exceeding its spike; perigynia oblong, 1"-!^" in lengthy 

 nerveless, 2-ribbed, slightly turgid, somewhat thin in texture, olive 

 brown, with a slender, entire roughish beak about twice the 

 length of the ovate obtuse brown scale ; achenium narrowly 

 obovoid. 



Wet places. Local. Cortland county. 



82. Carex eburnea Boott. 

 Stoloniferous ; stems 5-1-4' high, capillary, but firm and erect, 

 smooth; leaves bristle-shaped, recurved-spreading, rough above 

 the middle, shorter than the culm; staminate spike linear, 3"-5' 

 long, sessile or slightly peduncled between the more elevated and 

 conspicuous pistillate spikes, acute at each end, the brown scales 

 often partly concealed by the scarious sheaths ; pistillate spikes 

 2-4, 2-G densely flowered, l"-2" long, apprcximate on slender 

 stalks 4"-8" in length, sometimes the lowest distant ; sheaths 

 scarious, white with a tinge of brown at the base; perigynia 



