Genus 18. 



SEDGE FAMILY. 



4 r 3 



158. Carex misandra R. Br. Short-leaved 

 Sedge. Fig. 1025. 



Carex misandra R. Br. Suppl. Parry's Voy. 283. 1824. 



Glabrous and smooth, culms very slender, erect, i'-is' 

 tall. Leaves i"-ii" wide, clustered at the base, usu- 

 ally much shorter than the culm, seldom over 2i' long; 

 bracts narrowly linear, sheathing, with colored sheaths, 

 not overtopping the spikes; terminal spike often par- 

 tially pistillate at base or summit, slender-stalked; pis- 

 tillate spikes ,1 to 3, filiform-stalked, z"~7" l° n g> about 

 2" thick, rather few-flowered, drooping or weakly erect; 

 perigynia narrowly lanceolate, tapering and beaked at 

 the apex, narrowed at the base, 2i" long, I" wide, 

 ascending, dark brown, serrulate above, the orifice ob- 

 lique, at length bidentate ; scales oval, acutish, purple- 

 black with narrow white margins, somewhat shorter 

 than the perigynia ; stigmas 3, rarely 2. 



Throughout arctic America, extending south in the Rocky 

 Mountains to the higher summits of Colorado. Also in 

 arctic Europe and Asia. Summer. 



159. Carex Swanii (Fernald) Mackenzie. Swan's Sedge. Fig. 1026. 



C. virescens var. Swanii Fernald, Rhodora 8 : 183. 1906. 

 C. Swanii Mackenzie, Bull. Torr. Club 37: 246'. 1910. 



Culms very slender, erect or somewhat reclining, 

 rough above, 6'-2o' tall, little reddened at base, exceeded 

 by leaves. Leaves light green, ii" wide, pubescent, es- 

 pecially on the sheaths, the uppermost usually ii'-2' 

 below spikes ; spikes 2-5, very short-stalked, erect or 

 nearly so, oblong-cylindric, densely many-flowered, 3"- 

 10" long, li"-2i" in diameter, the terminal gynaecan- 

 drous ; lowest bract very slender, I" wide, twice exceed- 

 ing spikes ; perigynia 3-sided, obovoid, about 1" long, 

 ascending, densely pubescent, few-nerved, green; beak- 

 less, the orifice entire; scales oblong-ovate, the lower 

 cuspidate by the excurrent midvein, scarious-margined, 

 slightly shorter than the perigynia ; stigmas 3. 



In dry woods and thickets, Nova Scotia to Michigan, 

 North Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri. Illustrated in our 

 first edition as C. virescens. June-July. 



160. Carex virescens Muhl. Ribbed Sedge. Fig. 1027. 



Carex virescens Muhl. ; Willd. Sp. PI. 4: 251. 1805. 

 Carex virescens var. costata Dewey, Am. Journ. Sci. 



9: 260. 1825. 

 C. costellata Britton, Bull. Torr. Club 22 : 223. 1895. 



Similar to the preceeding species, but taller and 

 more spreading; culms slender, ii°-2$° long, strongly 

 reddened at base, exceeding leaves. Leaves ii"-2 

 wide, pubescent, especially on the sheaths, shorter than 

 the culm, the upper one usually S'-ii' below spikes ; 

 spikes 2-5, linear-cylindric, many-flowered, rather 

 loose, ¥-l¥ long, ii" in diameter, erect or slightly 

 spreading, the terminal gynaecandrous, the lower one 

 commonly filiform-stalked ; lowest bract leaflet-like, 

 i"-i" wide, somewhat exceeding spikes; perigynia 

 oblong-elliptic to rarely obovoid, densely pubescent, 

 narrowed at each end, usually strongly several-ribbed, 

 l" long, rather more than i" thick, beakless, the 

 orifice entire ; scales ovate, scarious-margined, acumi- 

 nate or cuspidate, shorter than the perigynia; stig- 

 mas 3. 



In woods, Maine and Ontario to Georgia and Ken- 

 tucky. Ascends to 4000 ft. in North Carolina. June-Aug. 



