222 FLORA. 



168. Carex muricata L. Lesser Prickly Sedge. (I. F. f. 838.) Bright 

 green ; culms slender, roughish, at least above, 3-7 dm. long. Leaves 2-3 mm. 

 wide, shorter than the culm ; bract short, subulate ; spikes 5-10, 4-10-flowered, 

 clustered into an oblong head, or the lower I or 2 distant ; perigynia ovate or 

 ovate- lanceolate, 4 mm. long, smooth, shining, nerveless, spreading or radiating 

 when mature, not reflexed, tapering into a rough-edged 2 -toothed beak as long as 

 the body ; scales ovate or ovate-oblong, acute, shorter than the perigynia. In 

 meadows and fields, Mass. to N. Y., Ohio and Va. Naturalized from Europe. 

 June-Aug. 



169. Carex sparganioides Muhl. Bur-reed Sedge. (I. F. f. 839.) 

 Rather dark green with nearly white sheaths ; culms rough, 3-angled, 5-9 dm. tall. 

 Leaves flat, 5-9 mm. wide, the lower very short ; spikes 6-12, oblong or subglo- 

 bose, 5-8 mm. in diameter, the upper aggregated, the lower 2-4 commonly 

 separated ; perigynia flat, ovate, 3 mm. long, spreading or radiating, pale, 

 narrowly wing-margined, usually few-nerved on the outer face, the rough 2-toothed 

 beak one-fourth to one-third the length of the body ; scales ovate, acute or cuspi- 

 date, about one-half as long as the perigynia. In woods and thickets, Mass. to 

 Out., Mich., Va., Ky. , Iowa and Mo. June-Aug. 



170. Carex cephaloidea Dewey. Thin-leaved Sedge. (I. F. f. 840.) 

 Similar to the preceding ; culms rough above. Leaves flat, 4-8 mm. wide, thin 

 and lax, somewhat shorter than the culm ; bracts usually short ; spikes 4-8, sub- 

 globose, in an oblong cluster ; perigynia ovate or ovate-lanceolate, greenish 

 brown, nearly 4 mm. long, ascending, nerveless or faintly few-nerved, tapering into 

 a rough 2-toothed beak one-fourth to one-third as long as the body ; scales ovate, 

 white, short-cuspidate or awned, about one-half as long as the perigynia. In dry 

 fields and on hills, Mass. to Penn., 111., Mich, and Wyo. May-July. 



171. Carex cephalophora Muhl. Oval-headed Sedge. (I. F. f. 841.) 

 Pale green ; culms slender, rough above, 2.5-6 dm. tall. Leaves 2-4 mm. wide; 

 bracts of the lower spikes bristle-form; spikes few, subglobose, clustered in a short- 

 oblong head 8-16 mm. long ; perigynia broadly ovate, 2 mm. long or less, pale, 

 nerveless or very faintly few-nerved, tipped with a 2-toothed beak about one-fourth 

 the length of the body ; scales ovate, rough-cuspidate or awned, equalling or a 

 little shorter than the perigynia. In dry fields and on hills, Me. and Ont. to Man., 

 Fla., Mo. and Tex. May-July. 



172. Carex Leavenworthii Dewey. Leavenworth's Sedge. (I. F. f. 842.) 

 Similar to the preceding, but smaller ; culms almost filiform, roughish, 1. 5-4 dm. 

 tall. Leaves narrower, 1-3 mm. wide, mostly shorter than the culm ; bracts of the 

 lower spikes bristle-form or wanting ; spikes 4-7, densely crowded ; perigynia 

 orbicular-ovate, rather less than 2 mm. long and about as wide, tipped with a very 

 short 2-toothed beak ; scales ovate, acute or cuspidate, shorter and narrower than 

 the perigynia. In meadows, Iowa to Miss., Ark. and Tex. May-June. 



173. Carex Muhlenbergii Schk. Muhlenberg's Sedge. (I. F. f. 843.) 

 Light green ; culms slender, erect, 3-angled, rough, at least above, 3-6 dm. tall. 

 Leaves 2-4 mm. wide, usually shorter than the culm, somewhat involute in drying; 

 bracts bristle-form, usually short ; spikes 4-10, ovoid or subglobose, close together 

 in an oblong head ; perigynia broadly ovate-oval, 3 mm. long, strongly nerved 

 on both faces, ascending, with a short 2-toothed beak; scales ovate -lanceolate, 

 rough -cuspidate or short-awned, narrower and mostly longer than the perigynia. 

 In dry fields and on hills, Me. and N. H. to Ont., Minn., Fla. and Tex. 

 May-July. 



Carex Muhlenbergii Xalapdnsis (Kunth) Britton. Perigynia nearly or quite nerve- 

 less ; leaves broader and longer. S. N. Y. to Mo., Tex. and Mex. 



Perigynia radiately spreading, or reflexed when old. 



Perigynia distinctly nerved on both faces, the beak rough. 



Perigynia lanceolate ; beak more than half as long as the body. 



174. C. sterilis. 

 Perigynia ovate; beak about one-third as long as the body, abrupt. 



175. C. Atlantica. 

 Perigynia faintly nerved on the outer face, nerveless or nearly so on the inner; beak 



smoothish. 176. C. interior. 



