C i 'PER A CEA E. 211 



and glabrous; culms slender, rough above, 2-5 dm. tall. Leaves 2-4 mm. wide; 

 bracts narrow, elongated; staminate spike stalked; pistillate spikes 2 or 3, erect, 

 distant, 2.5 cm. long or less, or the lower filiform-stalked and drooping; perigynia 

 oblong, many-nerved, about 3 mm. long, the summit curved outwardly and taper- 

 ing to an entire orifice, beakless; scales ovate-oblong. In meadows and wet woods, 

 Me. and Ont. to Manitoba, N. Car. and La. June-July. 



106. Carex Meadii Dewey. Mead's Sedge. (I. F. f. 776.) Similar to the 

 preceding; culm stouter, very rough above, 3-4 dm. tall. Bracts short, not over- 

 topping the spikes; staminate spike long-stalked; pistillate spikes 1-3, oblong- 

 cylindric, dense, 1-2.5 cm. long, about 6 mm. in diameter, erect, stalked or the 

 upper one sessile; perigynia broadly oblong, many-nerved, 3 mm. long, tipped 

 with a minute slightly bent beak; scales ovate, green with purple-brown margins. 

 In swamps and wet meadows, R. I. to Penn. and Ga., west to Mich., Assiniboia, 

 Neb. and Ind. Terr. The lowest spike is sometimes borne on a very long stalk 

 arising from the axil of one of the basal leaves. May-July. 



107. Carex laxifiora Lam. Loose- flowered Sedge. (I. F. f. 777.) Gla- 

 brous; culms slender, roughish above, 1.5-6 dm. long. Leaves 3-6 mm. wide, soft; 

 staminate spike usually stalked; pistillate spikes 2-4, distant, Hnear-cylindric, 

 3-4 mm. thick, all slender-stalked and spreading or drooping or the upper one 

 erect and sessile; perigynia obovoid, mor eor less oblique, 2.5-3 mm - l° n g« strongly 

 many-nerved, tapering into a short outwardly bent entire beak; scales ovate with 

 broad white scarious margins acute, cuspidate or awned. In meadows and thick- 

 ets. Me. and Ont. to Minn., Fla., Ala. and the Ind. Terr. May-July. 



Carex laxifl6ra blanda (Dewey) Boott. Pistillate spikes cylindric, mostly densely 

 flowered, the upper sessile or nearly so, erect, contiguous to the usually sessile staminate 

 one, the lower slender-stalked. Range of the type. Perhaps specifically distinct. 



Carex laxifl6ra varians Bailey. Stouter and taller than the preceding : leaves 5- 

 7 mm. wide : pistillate spike sometimes 3 cm. long and 5 mm. thick, dense, often com- 

 pound at the base, the upper sessile ©r short-stalked and contiguous to the sessile stami- 

 nate one, the lower long-stalked. N. H. to N. Y., Mich., Mo. and Neb. 



Carex laxifl6ra patulifblia (Dewey) Carey. Glaucous or pale green ; basal leaves 

 5-9 mm. wide; staminate spike usually stalked; pistillate spikes 2.5 cm. long or more, 

 loosely flowered, scattered ; perigynia oblong or ellipsoid, the beak nearly straight. 

 Halifax, X. S. (according to Macoun) ; Mass. to Mich., Ala. and Tenn. 



Carex laxifiora divaricata Bailey. Perigynia larger than in the other forms, con- 

 tracted into a stipe one-half as long as the body. Washington, D. C. 



108. Carex styloflexa Buckley. Bent Sedge. (I. F. f. 778.) Glabrous; 

 culms slender, smooth, 2-5 dm. long. Leaves 3-6 mm. wide, shorter than the 

 culm; bracts short; staminate spike usually long-stalked; pistillate spikes 1-4, 

 distant, loosely flowered, less than 16 mm. long, the lower drooping on filiform 

 stalks; perigynia oblong, triangular, many -nerved, about 4 mm. long, 2 mm. thick, 

 somewhat oblique, slender-beaked; scales ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, cuspi- 

 date or short-awned. shorter than the perigynia. In woods and thickets, N. Y. 

 and Penn. to Fla., La. and Tex. May-July. 



109. Carex digitalis Willd. Slender Wood Sedge. (I. F. f. 779.) Gla- 

 brous, bright green; culms slender or almost filiform, usually reclining, I-4.5 dm. 

 long. Leaves 2-4 mm. wide ; staminate spike stalked; pistillate spikes 2-4, linear; 

 loosely alternately flowered, I-2.5 cm. long, the lower filiform-stalked, spreading 

 or drooping; perigynia oblong, sharply triangular, many- nerved, 2 mm. long, more 

 than 1 mm. thick, the short beak slightly oblique; scales acute, acuminate or 

 short-awned. In woods and thickets, Me. and Ont. to Minn., Fla. and Tex. May- 

 July. 



Carex digitalis copulata Bailey. Larger in every way, culms sometimes 5 dm. long, 

 reclining; leaves 5-8 mm. wide; pistillate spikes shorter and denser; perigynia larger. 

 Mich., S. Ont. and Iowa. 



1 10. Carex Careyana Torr. Carey's Sedge. (I. F. f. 780.) Glabrous, 

 bright green; culms 2-6 dm. tall. Basal leaves, 6-12 mm. wide, short; bracts linear- 

 lanceolate with very long sheaths, the blades 2-7.5 cm - l° n g; staminate spike 

 usually large, long-stalked; pistillate spikes 1-3, less than 2.5 cm. long, the lower on a 

 long filiform stalk; perigynia ovoid-oblong, sharply 3 -angled, many -nerved, fully 



