THIANDRIA M<nS0GYXIA &£c 



and acuminate, enclosing: the ovary, opening at :sumij$9JUuu entire, or J 

 bidentate orifice, persistent. Stigmas 2^^J^^sBrl^^ii^utocV|ni^C 

 Seed (sVut, or Caryopsis,) crustaceous, tri(jfhi a£fltT? T -Eft ifflfr ^Yl)l ^ ^f* f *^ , ^ 

 compressed. 



A. Spike lets all AynnoGY5ors. 



a, Spikelet mostly solitary, j Summit Staminate. Stigmas "6. 



I. C. polytrichoides, Muhl. Spikelet simple ; fruit lance-oblong, 

 compressed-triquetrous, obtuse ; glumes oblong, rather obtuse, niucron- 

 ate. Becky Bot. p. 431. Specim. Gray, Gram. 2. no. 140. 

 C. microstachya. Mx. Am. 2. p. 169. Not of JVilld. nor Pers. 

 Polytricuum-lfke Carex. 



Culm 9 to 18 inches high, very slender, almost capillary, triquetrous, naked 

 above, longer than the leaves. Leaves mostly subradical, annotineus (or renew - 

 «ul every year.) very narrow, grooved, becoming convolute when dry. Spikelet Mrs 

 oar-oblong. Staminate florets 4 to 8; Glumes oblongs rather acute, with abroad* 

 fuscous margin* Pistillate florets about 5 ; glumes ovate, obtuse or acute, keeled, 

 mur.ronate, the lowest one often elongated and long-mucronate, but scarcely folia- 

 reous. I-'ruit obtusely triquetrous, oblong, slightly nerved, smooth. 



Hah. Open woodlands, and low grounds: frequent. Fl. May. IV. June. 



Obs. The roots of all the species are believed to be perennial. This one was 

 firs; observed, here, in 1S27. 



•j* f Summit Pistillate. 



2. C sar\RttosA, L. Spikelet simple, mostly solitary, thick, oblong* 

 cylindric ; fruit imbricate, at length horizontal, subsquarro.se, glabroua, 

 longer than the glume. Beck, Bot. p. 431. Icon, Schw. & Ton-. 

 Afonogr. tab. 27. f. 2. Specim. Gray, Gram. 2. no. 142. 

 C. typhina. Mx. Am. 2. p. 169. Also, Pers. Syn. 2. p. 535, 

 £>q.i;abbose Carex. 



Culm about 2 feet high, rather slender, acutely triquetrous, nearly smooth, leafy. 

 Leaves lanceolate, nerved, 3 or 4 of the upper ones longer than the culm. SpikeUf 

 rylindric-oval, about an inch long, and half an inch thick, terminal and solitary ; 

 Sometimes % rarely 3; the additional ones axillary, on short peduncles, near th 

 smnmiu Sterile florets at the base of the spikelet, dry and decurrent on the pedun j 

 tie. Glumes lance-oblong, acute, scarious. Fruit horizontal, (erect when young, > 

 turbinate and inflated, nerved, produced into a long, conical, bifid beak, toerfmucli 

 sruuller than the envelope, oblong, triquetrous. 



Hub. Moist, low grounds; borders of woods : frequent. Fl. May. Pr. July. 



b* SpikcUts several: f .Aggregated into a head: Summit Staminate. 



3. C. cbphalopuoba, Muhl. Spikelets aggregated into an elliptic, oi 

 ovoid head ; fruit ovate, compressed, with scabrous margins above, a 

 little longer than the ovate, subaristate glume. Beck, Bot. p % 431. 

 Hkad-bhabixg Cakex. 



Culm 1 to 2 feet high, erect or decumbent, acutely triquetrous, striate, nnT. 

 a&OVe, leafy near the base. Leaves sub-radical, lance-linear, often very Ion?, firr 

 rowed ; midrib rounded and prominent. Spikelets 3 to 6, terminal, closely appro .vi- 

 inated at base, so as to form a single head, which appears to be trifid below, BUrili 

 f7 orets at the summit of each spikelet. Glumes shorter than the fruit, ovale, keel* a*, 

 cuspidate. Two subulate, or filiform, scabrous bracts, at the base of Ha compound 



