Genus 18. 



SEDGE FAMILY. 



361 



2. Carex capitata L. Capitate Sedge. Fig. 869. 



Carex capitata L. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10, 1261. 1759. 



Culms caespitose, slender, but stiff, strictly erect, 2'-i8' 

 tall, slightly roughened above, few-leaved, the old sheaths 

 not conspicuous, slightly fibrillose at base. Leaves 

 filiform, involute, erect, shorter than the culm; spike 

 solitary, terminal, short-ovoid, androgynous, bractless, 

 2" _ 4" high, ij"-a" in diameter; perigynia membranous, 

 broadly ovoid, ascending, whitish or tinged with brow,n, 

 nerveless or nearly so, \\" long, l"-i" wide, abruptly 

 contracted into a smooth, nearly entire, dark brown beak 

 about i" long, with hyaline orifice; scales broadly ovate, 

 membranous, brown, with conspicuous white hyaline 

 margins, obtuse, shorter than the perigynia; racheola 

 often present; stigmas 2. 



Greenland and Labrador to the Northwest Territory and 

 Wyoming and on the higher summits of the White Moun- 

 tains of New Hampshire. Also in Europe, Asia and South 

 America. Summer. 



3. Carex incurva Lightf. Curved Sedge. 

 Fig. 870. 



Carex incurva Lightf. Fl. Scot. 544. pi. 24. f. 1. 1777. 



In small tufts, from elongated rootstocks, culms 

 rather stiff, smooth; often curved, i'-8' long. Leaves 

 less than 1" wide, shorter than to exceeding the culm, 

 usually curved; spikes 2-5, androgynous, sessile and 

 closely aggregated into an ovoid or short oblong 

 dense head, 2j"-8" in diameter, appearing like a soli- 

 tary spike; perigynia ovate, slightly swollen, com- 

 pressed, scarcely margined, ii" long, 1" wide, faintly 

 several-many-nerved, contracted at the base and nar- 

 rowed above into a short conic roughish beak; scales 

 ovate, brownish, with silvery hyaline margins, acute 

 or subacute, membranous, shorter than the perigynia ; 

 stigmas 2. 



Greenland and Hudson Bay to British Columbia and 

 Alaska. Also in Europe and Asia. Summer. 



4. Carex gynocrates Wormsk. Northern Bog Sedge. Fig. 871. 



Carex gynocrates Wormsk. ; Drejer, Rev. Crit. Car. 16. 1841. 

 Carex Redowskyana Fr. Schmidt Reisen im Amurl. 66. 1868. 

 Not C. A. Meyer, 1831. 



Culms very slender, stiff, erect, smooth, obtusely trian- 

 gular, 3'-i2' tall, slenderly long-stoloniferous. Leaves 

 almost bristle-form, erect, usually shorter than the culm ; 

 spike solitary, linear, terminal, erect, 2"-8" long, androgy- 

 nous, the pistillate part 2"-^' thick, or sometimes wholly 

 staminate or pistillate ; perigynia ovoid-ellipsoid, biconvex, 

 thin-edged,, but margined above only, rounded and stipitate 

 at base, dark brown at maturity, ij" long, I" wide, spread- 

 ing or reflexed when mature, strongly several-nerved, 

 rough above, narrowed into a short, at length 2-toothed 

 beak; scales ovate, light brown, spreading, acute to cuspi- 

 date, shorter than or equalling the perigynia; stigmas 2. 



In bogs, Greenland to Alaska, south to Maine, New York, 

 Pennsylvania, Michigan and in the Rocky Mountains to Colo- 

 rado. Also in Europe and Asia. Summer. 



