168 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Staminate spike clavate, pedunculate; pistillate spikes 2-4, 

 short-cylindrical, 3-9 loosely or subloosely flowered, all on 

 exserted erect or spreading filiform stalks, the lowest often sub- 

 radical or even radical; bracts leafy, sheathed, shorter or longer 

 than the culm ; perigynia acutely triangular, finely and closely 

 nerved, with a short recurved or sometimes obsolete point ; scale 

 thin, white or brown. 



Pistillate spikes pendulous; leaves 2 / '-5 // broad laxiculmis. 



Pistillate spikes erect-spreading, leaves broad. . . . digitalis. 



75. Carex digitalis Willd. 



Stems 6-1 8 7 high, slender, almost capillary, erect or at length 

 spreading, smooth ; leaves about the length of the culm 1"-1£* 

 wide, rough-margined, bright green ; staminate spike 6 // -9 // long, 

 its stalk i / -2^ / in length ; pistillate spikes 2-*, loosely 6-9 flow- 

 ered, the highest subsessile or long-peduncled, the lower sub- 

 distant or remote on filiform spreading peduncles in length 

 or more, the lowest sometimes pendulous ; bracts leafy, sheathing, 

 equaling or exceeding the culm ; perigynia triangular-elliptical > 

 finely nerved, with a short, obliquely bent point, nearly twice 

 longer than the acute white scale. 



Woods and ravines. Not very common. June. 



The species is known by its narrow, 3-veined leaves and the 

 small triangular perigynia. It usually grows in tufts. 



76. Carex laxiculmis Schw. 



Stems 10 / -20 / high, slender, suberect or prostrate, smooth ; 

 leaves mostly shorter than the culm, l£"-5" wide, conspicuously 

 3-veined, glaucous, rough on the margins; staminate spike 

 clavate, 6 // -10 // long:, sometimes subtended by a slender green 

 bract 2 // -5 // in length, mostly long-peduncled, exceeding the leaf- 

 like sheathing bracts ; pistillate spikes 3 // -6" long, densely 3-8- 

 flowered, all except the subsessile highest one on drooping fili- 

 form peduncles H'-^i' long; perigynia triquetrous, elliptical, 

 densely nerved, with a short oblique or curved point, exceeding 

 the ovate, obtuse or pointed brown or white scale. (C. retro- 

 curva Dew.) 



Thin woods and copses. Common. June. 



