390 



CYPERACEiE. 



Carex. 



** Stigmas 3. 



t Perigynium inflated, with a more or less elongated beak. 



44. Carex oligosperma, Michx. Feiv-fruited Sedge. 

 Staminate spike solitary, slender, pedunculate ; fertile spikes one or two, ovoid, distant, 



bracteate, few-flowered, the lower one on a short peduncle ; perigynium ovoid, obtusely 

 triangular, somewhat inflated, nerved, smooth, the beak short, entire at the orifice or minutely 

 2-toothed, rather longer than the ovate acute scale. — Michx. Jl. 2. p. 174 ; Torr. Cyp. p. 421 ; 

 Kunth, enum. 2. p. 499 ; Boott, I. c. 2. p. 220. C. Oakesiana, Dew. Car. I. c. 14. p. 351. 

 t. Q. /. 55 ; Kunth, I. c. 



Culm 1 i - 2 feet high, triangular, slightly rough on the angles. Leaves light green, linear, 

 becoming involute when old, erect and somewhat rigid : bracts elongated, with short sheaths. 

 Staminate spike 1 - H inch long, very slender ; the scales closely imbricated, oblong, obtuse. 

 Fertile spikes mostly 2, but often solitary, about half an inch long : scales light brown, usually 

 a little shorter than the perigynium, but sometimes equalling it in length. Perigynium 2\ 

 lines long, obtuse at the base, acuminate and pointed with a short beak, brownish when mature. 

 Achenium triquetrous, smooth, acuminate with the rigid continuous style. 



Borders of small lakes in Essex county. Fl. June. Fr. Early in August. Found also 

 on the White mountains, and in the northern parts of British America. 



45. Carex bullata, Schk. Inflated Sedge. 



Staminate spikes 2 - 3 ; fertile mostly 2, oblong-cylindrical, on exserted peduncles, erect 

 or somewhat nodding ; perigynia globose-ovoid, inflated, erect, smooth, strongly nerved, the 

 summit tapering into a long beak which is 2-forked at the extremity and a little hispid, about 

 twice as long as the lanceolate acute scale. — Schk. Car. 2. p. 85. t. Uuu. 1G6 ; Puish, 

 Jl. 1. p. 45 ; Deiv. Car. I. c. 9. p. 71 ; Schwein. <§• Torr. Car. 1. c. p. 367; Torr. Cyp. 

 p. 421 ; Beck, hot. p. 444 ; Kunth, enum. 2. p. 496. C. cylindrica, Schwein. an. tab. I. c. 

 (not of Tuckerm.). 



var. cylindracea : fertile spikes elongated, cylindrical, more densely flowered ; perigynium 

 ovoid, the beak nearly smoolli. — Dew. Car. I. c. 11. p. 315 ; Torr. <§• Gr. in Torr. hot. 

 report for geol. surv. 1S40. C. bullata, (3., Torr. Cyp. p. 422. C. monile, Tuckerm. I. c. 

 p. 20 ; Dew. Car. I. c. 49. p. 47. t. l.f. 116. 



Culm 11 - 2\ feet high, triquetrous, rough above, leafy. Leaves about 2 lines wide, longer 

 than the culm. Staminate spikes mostly 3, slender and elongated ; the scales lanceolate, rather 

 acute, closely imbricated. Fertile spikes often solitary (rarely with a third few-flowcred one 

 at the base of the lowest staminate spike), li - 2h inches long, rather thick, nearly erect : 

 lower one with a peduncle half an inch !o an inch or more in length ; the upper one on a short 

 peduncle ; ihe scales mostly about half as long as the perigynia, but sometimes about two 

 thirds as long. Perigynia one third of an inch long, much inflated, strongly nerved ; the beak 

 long and slender, somewhat hispid (in /3. smoothish), distinctly 2-forked. Achenium trique- 

 trous, with a long and usually tortuous continuous style. 



