142 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



acute, whitish or tawny, about the length of the perigynium ; 

 achenium ovate, apiculate. 



A fine species, easily determined by the slender lax stems, and 

 silvery-white, subsquarrose spikelets. 



Woods and copses, especially in hilly and mountainous parts of 

 the State. Common. June, July. 



Yar. perplexa Bailey. Larger, stouter, erect; the spikelets 

 larger, the staminate portion less conspicuous, approximate, or 

 aggregated into an erect head, the lowest sometimes prominently 

 bracteate, perigynia of a firmer texture. 



A form occurs which has stiff, subflexuous spikes, silvery-green 

 spikelets, ovate above but narrowed below, and somewhat club- 

 shaped; perigynia thin, spreading, about as long as the pointed 

 scale. 



Dry ground. Washington and Otsego counties. June, July. 



Yar. sparsiflora Olney. Differs from the type in its more slender 

 culms, the spikes mostly nodding, and in its fewer, smaller and 

 fewer-flowered spikelets. 



27. Carex silicea Olney. 



Stems l°-2° high, firm, often recurved at the summit, mostly 

 smooth; leaves stiff, erect, flat or involute, rough beneath, as 

 long as the culm ; spikes l£'-3' long, often flexuous ; spikelets 

 4-8 or more, separate, moniliform, ovate, acute or obtuse, with a 

 club shaped base, silvery-white or tawny, long, erect or 



spreading; bracts scale-like, lanceolate, as long as the stipe-like 

 base ; perigynia broadly ovate, nerved on both sides, wrinkled on 

 the broad wing above, tapering into a short, smooth or ruughish 

 bifid beak, about equal to or a little surpassing the ovate, pointed 

 scale ; the tips of the perigynia mostly appressed. 



Sandy soil. Suffolk county. July. 



This species is abundant near the sea shore. Forms sometimes 

 occur in which the spikelets are contiguous or the upper ones 

 even aggregated. Occasionally the lowest one is borne on a long 

 pedunsle or branch, and rarely it is compound. 



28. Carex straminea Willd. 

 Stems lf>'-30' high, erect or the summit drooping, smooth; 

 leaves usually shorter than the culm, 1"-1J" wide, smooth or 

 rough-margined, yellowish green ; spike 1 long, flexuous ; 



