MONOECIA TRIANDRIA. Carex. 273 



Meadoivs, moist pastures. 



Per. June. 



Root creeping. Stem erect, ten to fifteen inches, smooth. Ls. 

 glaucous, shorter than the straw-stallc. Bract, acute, shorter 

 than the stem. Sheaths long, furrowed, pale. Spike, stamen ■ 

 bearing spike one, sometimes two, spear-shaped, acute. Pistil- 

 bearing spike remote, erect, on slender stalks, twice the length 

 of the sheath ; their scales loosely tiled, egg-shaped, pointless. 

 Fruit longer than the scales, egg-shaped, bluntish, capsule 

 rather distant, of a light greenish, or yellowish hue. Sheath 

 lower, enclosing about half the foot-stalk, upper ones nearly the 

 whole. Caps, often aiFected wdth the smut, and turned into 

 sooty dust. 



Discrim. Its loose, rather distant capsules. In its younger state 

 resembles young specimens of Car. recurva : but in Car. pani- 

 cea, the lowermost sheath is full half the length of the footstalk, 

 in Car. recurva, about one quarter. 



C. recurva. Glaucous Heath C. Sheaths short. Pistil- 

 bearing spikes two or three, cylindrical, close, drooping, 

 on long, at length recurved stalks. Fruit elliptical, 

 triangular, roughish, blunt, slightly notched. E. B. 

 1506. C. flacca. Schk. Car. II7. O. P. 57. Host, 

 1. t. 90. 



Moist meadows, pastures, groves, ivet, barren, heathy ground. 



Per. June. 



Root creeping. Whole plant glaucous. Stem upright, from eight 

 to eighteen inches, roundish, witli three angles. Ls. erect, 

 broadish, shorter than the stem. Bract, erect, about as high as 

 the stem ; sheaths short, with a small appendage on each side. 

 Stamen-bearing spikes linear-spear-shaped, mostly solitary. 

 Pistil-bearing spikes, at first erect, soon drooping, cylindrical, 

 very close, glumes egg-shaped, blackish. Stig. thi-ee. Fruit 

 closely tiled, elliptical, bluntly three-angular, swelling, entire, 

 soon black. 



Discrim. (Varies much in size and habit.) Its cylindrical, droop- 

 ing, black spikes, glaucous leaves, short, ear-appendaged sheaths, 

 roundish caps., smooth straw-stalk, creeping root. 



C ccEspitosa. Tufted Bog C. Stigmas two. Sheaths 

 none. Pistil-bearing spikes, cylindrical, blunt, erect ; 

 uppermost stalkless, the lowermost sometimes stalked. 

 Leaves and ear-appendaged bracteas, linear, erect. 

 Fruit permanent, elliptical, flat, man^^-ribbed, with a 

 very short, abrupt beak. E. B. 1507. Schk. Car. 57. 

 A, a, and B, b. 85. Host, t. 91. 



Marshes, ivet, sha^ii/ places. 

 Per. Mai/. 



T 



