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Agriculture Handbook No. 467

FOREST SERVICE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

MANUAL OF THE

GENUS CAREX

IN MEXICO

AND CENTRAL AMERICA

By

Frederick J. Hermann

Curator, Forest Service Herbarium

Agriculture Handbook No. 467

FOREST SERVICE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printme Office

Washington, D.C. 20402-Price $2.85 (paper cover)

Stoclc Number 0100-03269
SUMMARY

Carex, of the family Cyperaceae, is the largest genus

of vascular plants in North America, where it comprises

over 600 species, and is taxonomically one of the most

difficult genera in the flora of that region. It is partial to

temperate and cold climates and therefore in predominantly tropical areas, such as Mexico and Central America, is largely restricted to high elevations.

In this taxonomic treatment, the 102 recognized taxa

comprise 94 species, 7 varieties and one form,—more than

double the number of taxa previously reported from the

area in the only recent coverage of the genus for North

America.

Keys for the identification of the sections of the genus

and for the species are provided, as well as detailed descriptions, synonymy, accounts of geographic distribution

and habitats, and illustrations for each species, many of

which have never been illustrated before. Included are a

systematic list of the taxa, a glossary, and bibliography.

Two new combinations are proposed : Carex schiedeana

Kunze var. perstricta (Mack.) F.J. Herm. and C. schiedeanajvar. stellata (Mack.) F.J. Herm.

This Agriculture Handbook is a companion volume to

Agriculture Handbook No. 374, Manual of the Carices

of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Basin (1970).

11
Hermann, Frederick J.

1974. Manual of the genus Carex in

Mexico and Central America, U. S.

Dep. Agrie, Agrie, Handb, No. 467

219 p,, illus.

An original treatment of the 102 taxa of the

genus Carex (family Cyperaceae) now known from

Mexico and Central America. Detailed descriptions,

keys for identification, and illustrations for each

species are included.

Keywords: Plant taxonomy, Carex, Mexico, Central

America, phytogeographv, Cyperaceae. Oxford

number: 187: (728): 175.2

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:

73-600-298

111
CONTENTS

Page

Introduction 1

Mexican and Central American Carices—

Systematic List 2

Key to Sections 6

Key to Species 10

Species Descriptions . . 22

Addenda 208

Bibliography 210

Glossary 212

Index 216

Issued December 1974

IV
INTRODUCTION

Three factors have indicated the need for an up-to-date treatment of the sedges of Mexico and Central America: (1) The

number of taxa (102) now known from the area is considerably

more than double that recorded by Mackenzie in North American

Flora, 1931-35, (2) The genus is a particularly large and taxonomically difficult one, meriting a specialized treatment, including

keys for identification, pertinent synonymy, detailed descriptions,

habitat preference and altitudinal range, and general and local

distribution, (3) There has been no regional account, restricted

to the species of the area, and including detailed drawings of the

many species never before illnstrated, to facilitate the problem of

identification of collections from the area. It is hoped that this

Handbook may contribute to the understanding of the variation

in the many wide-ranging sedges of the United States whose distribution extends south of its border.

All pertinent literature has been reviewed and all collections

from the area in the principal Mexican herbaria have been studied,

as well as those in the larger herbaria of the United States known

to be rich in material from Mexico and Central America (the

Field Museum, Gray Herbarium, and the University of Michigan).

In addition, many specimens were received from collectors who

have recently been active in the region. The type collections of all

species originally described from Mexico or Central America have

been examined.

Permission to use some of Creutzberg's drawings in Mackenzie's

'*North American Cariceae'' was generously granted by the New

York Botanical Garden, to supplement those by Feddema and

others published in U.S. Dep. Agrie, Agricultural Handbook

No. 374, ^'Manual of the Carices of the Rocky Mountains and

Colorado Basin." Species originally described from specimens

originating in Mexico and Central America but not heretofore

illustrated are represented by plates expertly drawn for the

present treatment by Jeanne R. Janish.

Because Carex is a genus largely restricted to a temperate or

cold climate, its occurrence in Mexico and Central America is

rare except in the mountains. Since many of the montane areas

have not yet been well explored botanically, it is expected that

further collections will disclose species not included in the present

list.
MEXICAN AND CENTRAL AMERICAN CARICESSYSTEMATIC LIST

(Numbers of sections and species in parentheses are those of

K. K. Mackenzie in North American Flora, vol. 18. Interpolated

species, subsequently reported from North America or recently

described, are given decimal numbers following their nearest

allies. Varieties are designated alphabetically.)

Page

1. Section Capitatae (2)

1. C. capitataL. (3) 22

2. Section Divisae (7)

2. C. praegracilisW. Boott (19) 24

3. Section Potosinae (10)

3. C. potosina Hemsl. (23) 26

4. Section Bracteosae (12)

4. C. vallicolaDewey (31) 28

4a. var. hidalgensis F. J. Herm. (31a)

5. C. involucratella Mack. (36) 30

6. C. occidentalis Bailey (38) 32

7. C. xalapensis Kunth (42) 34

5. Section Multiflorae (13)

8. C. agrostoides Mack. (55) 36

9. C. marianensis Stacey (58) 38

10. C. percostata F. J. Herm. (58.1) 40

6. Section Vulpinae (15)

11. C. chihuahuensis Mack. (73) 42

7. Section Stellulatae (19)

12. C. interior Bailey (105) 44

12a. f. keweenawensis (F. J. Herm.) Fern.

(105a)

13. C. townsendii Mack. (115) 46

14. C. angustior Mack. (117) 48

8. Section Deweyanae (20)

15. C. bromoides Schk. (120) 50

9. Section Ovales (21)

I. Festivae

16. C. volcánica F.J. Herm. (126.1) 52
Page

17. C. bonplandiiKunth(134) 54

18. C. purdieiBoott (135) 56

19. C. subbracteata Mack.

var. tolucensis F. J. Herrn. (143a) 58

TT T^pstu(*â.c6a6

' 20. C. diehlii Jones ex F. J. Herrn. (166.1) 60

21. C. brevior (Dewey) Mack. (167) 62

22. C. peucophilaHolm (168) 64

23. C. egglestonii Mack.

var. festivelliformis F. J. Herrn. (171a) 66

in. Alatae

* 24. C. longiiMack. (182) 68

IV. Tribuloideae

25. C. tribuloides Wahl. (186) 70

V. Foeneae

26. C. xerántica Bailey (191) 72

VI. Athrostachyae

27. C. athrostachyaOlney (195) 74

10. Section Filifoliae (24)

28. C. arsenii Kükenth. (203) 76

29. C. longissima Jones (203.1) 78

30. C. oreocharis Holm (204) 80

11. Section Montanae ( 27 )

31. C. physorhyncha Liebm. in Steud. (215) 82

32. C. turbinata Liebm. (218) 84

33. C. leucodonta Holm (219) 86

34. C. geophilaMack. (231) 88

12. Section Triquetrae (31)

35. C. triquetra Boott (252) 90

36. C. planostachys Kunze (253) 92

13. Section Schiedeanae (35)

37. C. schiedeana Kunze (261) 94

37a. var. perstricta (Mack.) F. J. Herm. (260) 96

37b. var. stellata (Mack.) F. J. Herrn. (262) 98

14. Section Scabrellae (36)

38. C. scabrellaWahl. (263) 100

15. Section Indicae (37)

39. C. humboldtiana Steud. (264) 102

40. C. standleyana Steyerm. (264.1) 104

41. C. polystachyaSw.exWahl. (265) 106

41a. var. bartlettii (O'Neill) Standl. &

Steyerm. (265a) 106

42. C. aztecica Mack. (266) 108
Page

43. C. hultenüAsplund (266.1) HO

44. C. madrensis Bailey (267) 112

16. Section Bicolores (38)

45. C. hassei Bailey (271) 114

17. Section Laxiflorae (40)

46. C. laxiflora Lam.

var. serrulata F. J. Herrn. (269a) 116

18. Section Granulares (41)

47. C. atractodes F. J. Herrn. (303.1) 118

48. C. quichensis F. J. Herrn. (303.2) 120

19. Section Longicaules (44)

49. C. anisostachys Liebm. (317) 122

50. C. guatemalensisF.J. Herrn. (317.1) 124

51. C. longicaulis Bock. (318) 126

52. C. coulteri Boott (319) 128

20. Section Viridiflorae (45)

53. C. viridiflora Mack. (322) 130

54. C. pertenuis Bailey (323) 132

55. C. perlonga Fern. (324) 134

56. C. mackenziana Weatherb. (324.1) 136

57. C. venosivaginata Standl. & Steyerm.

(324.2) 138

58. C. huehuetica Standl. & Steyerm. (324.3) 140

59. C. steyermarkii Standl. (324.4) 142

60. C. caxinensis F. J. Herm. (324.5) 144

21. Section Sylvaticae (47)

61. C. conspecta Mack. (346) 146

22. Section Longirostres (49)

62. C. tunimanensisStandl.& Steyerm. (349.1) 148

23. Section Extensae (50)

63. C. distentiformisF.J. Herm. (359.1) 150

24. Section Virescentes (53)

64. C. boliviensis Van Huerck & Muell.-Arg. 152

(375)

65. C. complanata Torr. (376) 154

25. Section Fecundae (55)

66. C. tuberculata Liebm. (389) 156

66a. var. ehrenbergiana (Bock.) Kükenth. 158

(390)

67. C. psilocarpa Steud. (391) 160

68. C. ballsiiNelmes (391.1) 162

69. C. chordalis Liebm. (392) 164

70. C. chiapensis F. J. Herm. (392.1) 166
71. C.

72. C.

73. C.

74. C.

75. C.

76. C.

Page

cortesii Liebm. (393) 168

tojquianensis Standl. & Steyerm. (393.1) 170

melanosperma Liebm. (394) 172

donnell-smithii Bailey (395) 174

jamesonii Boott (395.1) 176

lemanniana Boott (396) 178

26. Section Atratae (60)

77. C. bella Bailey (429) 180

27. Section Acutae (61)

78. C. emoryi Dewey (464) 182

79. C. endlichii Kükenth. (470) 184

80. C. eurycarpa Holm (471) 186

28. Section Hispidae (63)

81. C. spissa Bailey (482) 188

81a. var. ultra (Bailey) Kükenth. (483) 190

81b. var. seatoniana (Bailey) Kükenth. (484) 192

82. C. pringlei Bailey (485) 194

29. Section Pseudocypereae (67)

83. C. hystricina Muhl. (493) 196

84. C. thurberi Dewey (494) 198

85. C. comosa Boott (495) 200

86. C. polysticha Bock. (497) 202

30. Section Squarrosae (69)

87. C. frankiiKunth (507) 204

31. Section Vesicariae (70)

88. C. luridaWahl. (526) 206
KEY TO SECTIONS

1. Spike solitary.

2. Stigmas 2; achenes lenticular 1. CAPITATAE

2. Stigmas 3; achenes trigonous 10. FILIFOLIAE

1. Spikes more than 1.

3. Stigmas mostly 2 ; achenes lenticular.

4. Lateral spikes short, sessile ; terminal spike androgynous or gynaecandrous.

5. Culms arising singly or a few together from

long-creeping rhizomes.

6. Perigynia not granular-tuberculate, about

10 to a spike and largely concealed by the

scales 2. DIVISAE

6. Perigynia grannlar-tuberculate, few to a

spike, not concealed by the scales

3. POTOSINAE

5. Culms cespitóse or the rhizomes short-prolonged

and with short internodes, but not long-creeping.

7. Spikes androgynous.

8. Perigynia abruptly contracted into a

beak.

9. Spikes few (generally 10 or less,

often greenish) ; sheaths not reddotted ventrally

4. BRACTEOSAE

9. Spikes numerous, usually brownish or yellowish; leaf-sheaths

often red-dotted at the mouth ventrally 5. MULTIFLORAE

8. Perigynia tapering into a beak

6. VULPINAE

7. Spikes gynaecandrous.

10. Perigynia without winged margins, at

most thin-edged.

11. Perigynia spreading or ascending

at maturity. .7. STELLULATAE

11. Perigynia appressed

8. DEWEYANAE

10. Perigynia with winged margins

9. OVALES
4. Lateral spikes peduncled or, if sessile, elongated;

terminal spike staminate, rarely gynaecandrous or

androgynous.

12. Spikes androgynous, more or less paniculate..

25. FECUNDAE

12. Spikes, or some of them, staminate, pistillate

or gynaecandrous, not paniculate.

13. Lowest bract long-sheathing; perigynia

whitish-pulverulent at maturity; plants

low, usually 5 dm. or less high

16. BICOLORES

13. Lowest bract usually sheathless, ocjcasionally short-sheathing; perigynia not pulverulent; taller plants, usually more than

5 dm. high 27. ACUTAE

3. Stigmas mostly 3 ; achenes trigonous.

14. Perigynia pubescent, puberulent, or ciliate-scabrous.

15. Style jointed with the achene, at length withering and deciduous.

16. Achenes with sides convex above, closely

enveloped in the upper part of the perigynium-body ; bracts of the non-basal, pistillate spikes sheathless or nearly so

11. MONTANAE

16. Achenes with flat or concave sides.

^ 17. Bracts sheathless or the lower shortsheathing.

18. Spikes androgynous, the lower

paniculate.. 13. SCHIEDEANAE

18. Spikes not androgynous, not paniculate.

19. Achenes closely enveloped,

ñlling the perigynium body,

the latter strongly trigonous

12. TRIQUETRAE

19. Achenes more loosely enveloped, the upper part of the

perigynium-body empty, the

latter obscurely trigonous..

19. LONGICAULES

17. Bracts, at least the lower ones, longsheathing 14. SCABRELLAE

15. Style continuous with the achene, indurated and persistent 28. HISPIDAE

14. Perigynia glabrous.

20. Style jointed to the achene, not indurated,

at length withering.

21. Lower bracts, at least, long-sheathing.

7
22. Upper and lower spikes all androgynous, the lower paniculate..

15. INDICAE

22. Upper spike or spikes staminate

or gynaecandrous, the others pistillate ; spikes not paniculate.

23. Perigynia with beak entire

or emarginate or obliquely

cut, at length bidentulate or

bidentate.

24. Pistillate spikes short,

oblong to linear, erect

or, if drooping, the

spikes short and the

perigynia acutely trigonous.

25. Perigynia tapering

at the base, trigonous; achenes

closely enveloped ..

.17.LAXIFL0RAE

25. Perigynia rounded

at the base, suborbicular in cross-section ; achenes loosely

enveloped

18. GRANULARES

24. Pistillate spikes elongate, linear to cylindric,

slender-peduncled, the

lower drooping.

26. Lateral spikes androgynous, often in

pairs 20.

VIRIDIFLORAE

26. Lateral spikes not

androgynous, not in

pairs

.21. SYLVATICAE

23. Perigynia with beak bidentate.

27. P e r i g y n i u m-beak

obliquely cut, at length

bidentate

..22. LONGIROSTRES

27. Perigynium-beak

equally bidentate

23. EXTENSAE

21. Lower bracts sheathless or very shortsheathing.
28. Leaves more or less pubescent, at

least toward the base.

29. Perigynia beaked, the orifice

bidentate

19. LONGICAULES

29. Perigynia beakless, the orifice entire or emarginate...

24. VIRESCENTES

28. Leaves glabrous throughout.

30. Spikes numerous, adrogynous, often paniculate

25. FECUNDAE

30. Spikes gynaecandrous (the

lateral v^ith few staminate

flowers), not paniculate....

60. ATRATAE

20. Style continuous with the achene and of the

same bony texture, not withering.

31. Leaves not septate-nodulose ; perigynia

nerveless or nearly so, not ribbed or

strongly nerved 28. HISPIDAE

31. Leaves septate-nodulose; perigynia

strongly nerved or ribbed.

32. Perigynia finely and closely ribbed

29. PSEUDOCYPEREAE

32. Perigynia coarsely ribbed.

33. Perigynium-body obovoid or

obconic, truncately contracted into the prominent

beak....30. SQUARROSAE

33. Perigynum-body ovoid or globose-ovoid, not truncately

contracted

31. VESICARIAE
KEY TO SPECIES

1. CAPITATAE

One species 1. C. capitata

2. DIVISAE

One species 2. C. praegracilis

S. POTOSINAE

One species 3. C. potosina

4. BRACTEOSAE

1. Beak of perigynium only minutely bidentulatt, obliquely

cleft dorsally; spikes with few (1-6, rarely 10), erect or

ascending perigynia 4. C. vallicola

1. Beak of perigynium bidentate, usually strongly so.

2. Inflorescence ovoid, oblong-ovoid, or suborbicular, the

spikes densely capitate 5. C. involucratella

2. Inflorescence oblong or linear-oblong to elongate and interrupted, not capitate.

3. Scales about the length of, and wider than, the perigynia, and largely concealing them 6. C. occidentalis

3. Scales shorter and narrower than the perigynia, not

concealing them.

4. Mature perigynium bulging dorsally, displacing the

thickened margins onto the ventral face

4a. C vallicola var. hidalgensis

4. Mature perigynium not distended dorsally, the margins not displaced 7. C. xalapensis

5. MULTIFLORAE

1. Scales strongly white-hyaline-margined 8. C agrostoides

1. Scales little if at all hyaline-margined.

2. Perigynia plano-convex, 3.5-4 x 1.5-2 mm., obscurely

nerved ventrally, the beak one-half the length of the body;

sheaths short-prolonged and high-convex at the mouth...

10
9. C marianensis

2. Perigynia unequally biconvex, 4.5 x 2.25-2.5 mm., strongly

ribbed and sulcate on both faces, the beak one-fourth the

length of the body ; sheaths not obviously prolonged at the

mouth 10. C. percostata

6. VULPINAE

One species 11. C. chihiiahuensis

7. STELLULATAE

1. Perigynium-beak very shallowly bidentulate, one-fourth to

one-third the length of the body, the ventral false suture

inconspicuous.

2. Perigynia ventrally nerveless or few-nerved only at the

base 12. C, interior

2. Perigynia conspicuously nerved ventrally

12a. C. interior f. keweenawensis

1. Perigynium-beak sharply bidentate, one-third the length of

to equaling the body, the ventral false suture conspicuous.

3. Perigynia ovate, abruptly short-beaked, the beak less than

half the length of the body 13. C. townsendii

3. Perigynia lanceolate, tapering into a beak more than half

of to about the length of the body 14. C. angustior

8. DEWEYANAE

One species 15. C. bromoides

9. OVALES

1. Bracts not conspicuously exceeding the head (except rarely

in C. brevior), usually inconspicuous.

2. Beak of perigynium slender and nearly terete, scarcely

margined at the tip, the upper 0.25-2 mm. of its length,

little if at all serrulate 1. FESTIVAE

2. Beak of perigynium flat and margined to the tip, serrulate

to the apex.

3. Scales shorter than the perigynia, noticeably narrower

above and largely exposing the perigynia.

4. Wing of perigynium not narrowed near the middle

of the body ; leaf-blades of the sterile culms erect or

ascending, usually clustered toward the apex ; sterile

culms often poorly developed.

5. Perigynium-body not obovate, widest near the

middle or base 2. FESTUCACEAE

5. Perigynium-body obovate, widest near the top....

3. ALATAE

11
4. Wing of perigynium rather abruptly narrowed near

the middle of the body; leaf-blades of sterile culms

widely spreading, numerous, not clustered at the

apex ; sterile culms strongly developed

4. TRIBULOIDEAE

3. Scales about the length of the perigynia and nearly the

same width above, nearly concealing the perigynia above

5. FOENEAE

1. Bracts conspicuously exceeding the head

6. ATHROSTACHYAE

Subsection 1. Festivae

1. Perigynia much flattened, rather thin and scale-like except

where distended by the achene ; inflorescence a short, dense

head 16. C, volcánica

1. Perigynia plano-convex, not thin and scale-like.

2. Rootstocks elongate and conspicuously creeping, slender

but tough ; inflorescence moniliform or an elongate, loose

head.

3. Perigynia lanceolate or narrowly ovate, round-tapering

at the base, the beak half the length of the body or more

17. C. bonplandii

3. Perigynia ovate, rounded at the base, the beak proportionately shorter 18. C. purdiei

2. Rootstocks short-prolonged, the culms cespitóse; inflorescence capitate 19. C subbracteata var. tolucensis

Subsection 2. Festuceae

1. Perigynia plano-convex to concavo-convex, thick, coriaceous,

subcoriaceous or submembranaceous, 3.5-5.5 mm. long.

2. Scales little, if at all, reddish-brown-tinged. .21. C. brevior

2. Scales strongly reddish-brown- or chestnut-brown-tinged.

3. Perigynia with beak entire or bidentulate, the body inconspicuously finely nerved or nerveless dorsally; rootstocks long-creeping ; culms slender... 22. C, peticophila

3. Perigynia with beak bidentate, the body strongly nerved

or ribbed dorsally ; rootstocks short, stout ; culms coarse

20. C. diehlii

1. Perigynia flat, except where distended by the achene, thin,

membranaceous 23. C. egglestonii var. festivelliformis

Subsection 3. Alatae

One species 24. C. longii

Subsection 4. Tribuloideae

One species 25. C tribuloides

12
Subsection 5. Foeneae

One species 26. C. xerántica

Subsection 6. Athrostachyae

One species 27. C. athrostachya

10. FILIFOLIAE

1. Spikes with 15-40 perigynia, beak of perigynium sharply

bidentate.

2. Beak of perigynium short (0.5 mm.) ; pistillate scales obtuse; spikes short (2.5-4 cm.) ; leaves linear, 1.5-2 mm.

y^[¿Q [ 28. C arsenii

2. Beak of perigynium long (1 mm.) ; pistillate scales aristate ; spikes longer (up to 6 cm.) ; leaves setaceous, 0.5 mm.

y^[¿Q 29. C longissima

1. Spikes with 2-15 perigynia; beak of perigynium obliquely

cut; leaves 1.5-2 mm. wide 30. C. oreocharis

11. MONTANAE

1. Fertile culms all alike, elongated, 5-50 cm. long, bearing

both staminate and pistillate spikes ; basal spikes absent.

2. Perigynium-body (excluding stipitate base and beak) narrowly obovoid, much longer than wide

31. C. physorhyncha

2. Perigynium-body (excluding stipitate base and beak)

nearly globose, about as long as wide.

3. Perigynium-beak shallowly bidentate, the body manynerved; pistillate scales obtuse to cuspidate, reddishbrown-tinged ; staminate scales strongly reddish-browntinged; culms slender 32. C. turbinata

3. Perigynium-beak deeply bidentate, often ciliate, the

body many-ribbed ; pistillate scales acuminate to shortawned, light-colored; staminate scales greenish-white,

slightly or not at all reddish-brown-tinged ; culms strict

33. C. leucodonta

1. Fertile culms of two types, some short, 1-5 cm. long, partly

hidden among the densely tufted leaf-bases and bearing only

pistillate spikes, others elongated, 5-12 cm. long and bearing both staminate and pistillate spikes 34. C. geophila

12. TRIQUETRAE

1. Long-peduncled basal pistillate spikes not present ; perigynia

obscurely, if at all, nerved; pistillate scales copper-red

35. C triquetra

1. Long-peduncied basal pistiliate spikes numerous, perigynia

13
finely many-ribbed; pistillate scales greenish-white.

36. C. planostachys

13. SCHIEDEANAE

1. Leaf-blades and culms strongly vesicular-roughened above,

glaucous-green, the margins often strongly revolute; perigynia oblong-obovoid, 1-1.25 mm. wide

37a. C. schiedeana var. perstricta

1. Leaf-blades not vesicular-roughened above, light-green ; perigynia 1.25-1.75 mm. wide.

2. Perigynia obovoid, 1.75 mm. wide, strongly white-hispidhirsute, the beak bidentate; leaf-blades fiat or channeled

at the base, the margins little or not at all revolute

37. C. schiedeana

2. Perigynia oval-obovoid, 1.25-1.5 mm. wide, white-stellate,

short-hispid, the beak emarginate ; leaf-blades with revolute margins 37b. C. schiedeana var. stellata

14. SCABRELLAE

One species 38. C. scabrella

15. INDICAE

1. Spikes very numerous, widely spreading, in 6-10 panicles,

the upp4r panicles in pairs ; perigynia prominently beaked.

2. Mature perigynia (3.5) 4-5 mm. long; achenes 3-3.25 mm.

long; pistillate scales 3.4-5 mm. long; style very short,

thickish.

3. Perigynia obscurely few-nerved, except for the two

prominent lateral nerves, the beak emarginate, obliquely

cut, hyaline, papery; pistillate scales chestnut-brown..

39. C. humboldtiana

3. Perigynia strongly many-nerved, the beak bidentate, not

hyaline ; pistillate scales pale-brown or reddish-streaked

40. C. standleyana

2. Mature perigynia 2.3-3.5 mm. long; achenes 1.5-2 mm.

long; pistillate scales 2-3 mm. long.

4. Scales acuminate to strongly awned, light reddish-brown

or straw-colored; spikes oblong-ovoid to linear-oblong;

perigynia finely many-nerved, the beak greenish,

strongly bidentate ; style long, rather slender.

5. Perigynia glabrous ; scales acuminate or with an awn

1-2 mm. long 41. C. polystachya

5. Perigynia hispidulous; scales acuminate or with an

awn 1-10 mm. long.41a. C, polystachya var. bartlettii

4. Scales obtuse, acute or the lower short-awned, dark reddish-brown ; spikes oblong-ovoid or suborbicular ; peri14
gynia less strongly nerved, the beak strongly reddishbrown-tinged, rather shallowly bidentate; style very

short, thickish.

6. Leaf-blades 2.5-5(10) mm. wide; perigynia ellipticobovoid, 1-1.25 mm. wide, conspicuously nerved, the

orifice hyaline, papery, the teeth often poorly defined

42. C. aztecica

6. Leaf-blades averaging 15 cm. wide ; perigynia broadly

ovoid or subglobose, 1.5-2 mm. wide, very faintly

nerved, the orifice not hyaline, the teeth distinct

43. C. Jmltenii

1. Spikes rather few, appressed-ascending, in 1-3 panicles, none

in pairs ; perigynia short-beaked, the beak minutely bidentate; style very short, thickish 44. C. madrensis

16, BICOLORES

One species ^^' ^' hasset

17. LAXIFLORAE

One species 46. C. laxiflora var. serrulata

18. GRANULARES

1. More or less cespitóse; rootstocks moderately stout, darkbrown; ligule prolonged, acuminate; spikes short (the terminal 6-15 mm., the lateral 5-14 mm. long), the lateral not

staminate at the apex; scales short (2 mm.), half the length

of the perigynia; perigynia tapering into the beak; stylebase not bent 47. C. atractodes

1. Densely cespitóse; rootstocks slender, pale-brown; ligule not

conspicuously prolonged, blunt; spikes long (the terminal

14-25 mm., the lateral 20-30 mm. long), the lateral often

staminate at the apex ; scales 3 mm. long, nearly equaling the

perigynia; perigynia abruptly beaked; style-base sharply

y^Q^l 48. C qidchensis

19. LONGICAULES

1. Pistillate (lateral) spikes linear, 2.5-3 mm. wide; perigynia

2.5-3.5 mm. long, elliptic-lanceolate or oval-obovoid, glabrous

or the margins and beak sparsely pilose.

2. Spikes long (7-20 mm.), slender, many (10-25)-flowered,

the terminal androgynous or staminate, the lowest strongly

peduncled; perigynia glabrous, green, the lateral ribs not

prominent, abruptly contracted into a smooth, short (0.5

mm. long) beak; achenes sessile 49. C. anisostachys

2. Spikes short (4-12 mm.), stouter, few (5-12)-flowered,

15
1

sessile or subsessile, the terminal usually gynaeeandrous ;

perigynia sparsely pilose, red-dotted, the lateral ribs

prominent, tapering into an often ciliate beak one-third

to one-half the length of the body; achenes short-stipitate

' ' 50. C. guatemalensis

1. Pistillate (lateral) spikes oblong or linear-oblong, 4-6 mm.

wide; perigynia 3.5-4 mm. long, ovoid or obovoid, pubescent

or glabrous.

3. Perigynia and scales glabrous or nearly so, the beak

bidentate or bidentulate; leaf-blades sparingly pilose

beneath 51. c, longicaulis

3. Perigynia strongly short-pilose, the beak strongly bidentate ; scales sparingly pilose ; leaf-blades strongly villous

beneath 52. C. coulteri

20. VIRIDIFLORAE

1. Perigynia abruptly beaked (the beak praemorse), conspicuously stipitate, largely concealed by the scales ; leaves narrow (3-4 mm. wide) 60. C. caxinensis

Perigynia tapering into the beak, sessile, conspicuous in the

spikes.

2. Leaves narrow, 2-6 mm. wide.

3. Culms loosely cespitóse, the rootstocks elongate; perigynia scarcely beaked 54. C. pertenuis

3. Culms densely cespitóse, from a short rootstock; perigynia definitely beaked.

4. Sheaths hispidulous (sometimes very minutely) dorsally.

5. Leaf-blades channeled above and more or less

keeled below, 2-4 mm. wide ; perigynia 10-40, their

beaks sparsely ciliate-serrulate, 0.6-0.8 mm. long..

53. C. viridiflora

5. Leaf-blades nearly flat, 3.25-5.5 mm. wide, glabrous; perigynia 30-80, their beaks smooth, 1-1.5

mm. long

55. C, perlonga

4. Sheaths glabrous dorsally.

6. Perigynia 3.5-4 mm. long, 2-nerved, sparsely strigose; leaves 5-6 mm. wide 56. C. mackenziana

6. Perigynia 3 mm. long, 2-ribbed and strongly 6-8-

nerved, glabrous; leaves 2.5-4.5 cm. long, septatenodulose 57. C, venosivaginata

2. Leaves broad, 5-24 mm. wide.

7. Scales abruptly aristate; perigynia 3.5 mm. long; leaves

5-15 mm. wide 58. C. huehuetica

7. Scales acute, muticous or inconspicuously mucronato;

perigynia 5 mm. long; leaves 16-24 mm. wide

59. C, steyermarkii

16
21. SYLVATICAE

One species 61. C. conspecta

22. LONGIROSTRES

One species 62. C. tunimanensis

23. EXTENSAE

One species 63. C. distentiformis

24. VIRESCENTES

1. Culms from woody, elongate rootstocks, becoming decumbent; perigynia 3 mm. long, strongly ribbed dorsally

64. C. boliviensis

1. Culms cespitóse, erect; perigynia 2-2.5 mm. long, nerved

dorsally 65. C. complaTiata

25. FECUNDAE

1. Achenes, at full maturity, strongly constricted in the middle.

2. Perigynia obtusely trigonous, not oblique, the short beak

straight.

3. Perigynia obovoid or broadly obovoid, 2-3 mm. long,

1.5-2 mm. wide, prominently 2-keeled, otherwise nerveless.

4. Spikes all androgynous ; perigynia obovoid, strongly

purple-resinous, the beak bidentate; achenes oblongobovoid; spikes 3-6 cm. long; lower sheaths usually

cinnamon-brown 66. C. tuberculata

4. Upper spikes staminate or nearly so; perigynia

broadly obovoid, obscurely resinous, the beak shallowly bidentate; achenes obovoid; spikes 3-10 cm.

long ; lower sheaths usually reddish-purple

66a. C. titberciilata var. ehfènbergiana

3. Perigynia elliptic obovoid, 3-3.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm.

wide.

5. Spikes 8-12; perigynia finely several-nerved as well

as strongly 2-keeled, substipitate ; leaf-sheaths yellowish-brown tinged and red-dotted

\ 67. C psilocarpa

5. Spikes about 20 ; perigynia nerveless, strongly stipitate; leaf-sheaths reddish-brown 68. C. ballsii

2. Perigynia compressed-triangular, oblique, the long beak

somewhat excurved 75. C. jamesonii

1. Achenes not constricted in the middle; perigynia compressed-triangular, oblique, the long beak somewhat ex17
curved; perigynia nerved as well as 2-keeled (except in C.

cortesii and C. donnellsmithii).

6. Achenes trigonous; stigmas 3; perigynia not hispidserrulate (in C. tojquianensis sometimes minutely hispidulous above).

7. Achenes oblong-ellipsoid, yellowish-brown.

8. Bract-sheaths long-sheathing (up to 8 cm.) ; ligule

wider than long; perigynium-beak obliquely cut, at

most minutely bidentate 70. C. chiapensis

8. Brack-sheaths scarcely sheathing (rarely developing

y a sheath up to 1.7 cm. in C. chordalis) ; ligule much

longer than wide ; perigynium-beak clearly bidentate.

9. Peduncles serrulate on the angles, shorter than the

spikes; spikes 15-45, 2.5-15 cm. long; scales roughawned or cuspidate.

10. Perigynia nerved as well as 2-keeled; spikes

linear-cylindric, 5-15 cm. long; lower sheaths

usually cinnamon-brown 69. C chordalis

10. Perigynia 2-keeled, otherwise nerveless or

nearly so; spikes 2.5-7 cm. long; lower sheaths

dull purplish-brown 71. C. cortesii

9. Peduncles smooth, longer than the spikes; spikes

3-4, 2-3.5 cm. long; scales obtuse to subacute

72. C tojquianensis

7. Achenes oblong-obovoid, purplish-black at maturity;

lower sheaths purplish-brown.

11. Perigynia 2.5 mm. long, their beaks with very short

teeth; spikes 2.5-7 cm. long; scales reddish-brown ..

73. C. melanosperma

11. Perigynia 3.5-5 mm. long, their beaks with slender

teeth 0.5 mm. long; spikes 3-12 cm. long; scales

purplish-black 74. C, donnellsmithii

6. Achenes lenticular; stigmas 2; perigynia hispid-serrulate above 76. C. lemanniana

26. ATRATAE

One species 77. c. bella

27. ACUTAE

1. Perigynium-beak entire or slightly emarginate; achenes

1.5 mm. long.

2. Ligule much wider than long; sheaths glabrous ventrally;

strongly septate-nodulose dorsally; long horizontal rootstocks numerous 78. C. emoryi

2. Ligule as long as wide ; sheaths hispidulous, only sparingly

septate-nodulose dorsally; horizontal rootstocks short,

stout 80. C, eurycarpa

18
1. Perigynium-beak bidentulate; achenes 1.75 mm. long

79. C. endlichii

28. HISPIDAE

1. Perigynia 3-4.5 mm. long, broadly obovoid, very abruptly

short-beaked, obscurely few- to several-nerved, wider than,

and not concealed by, the scales ; achenes substipitate ; lowest

bract short-sheathing.

2. Perigynia squarrose-spreading, at maturity becoming inflated, glabrous; achenes elliptic-obovoid; style abruptly

bent 81. C spissa

2. Perigynia usually appressed-ascending, little or not at all

inflated.

3. Perigynia glabrous, red-striolate ; achenes elliptic-obovoid; style straight; scales acute to moderately shortawned 81a. C. spissa var. ultra

3. Perigynia sparsely setose-scabrous toward the apex,

red-dotted; achenes narrowly oblong-obovoid; style

usually abruptly bent; scales acuminate, usually longaristate 81b. C spissa var. seatoniana

1. Perigynia 7-8 mm. long, elliptic-lanceolate, tapering at the

apex, slenderly many-nerved, largely concealed by the scales ;

achenes long-stipitate; style elongate, straight; lowest bract

long-sheathing 82. C. pringlei

29. PSEUDOCYPEREAE

1. Perigynia suborbicular in cross-section, more or less inflated,

membranaceous or submembranaceous ; rootstocks with long,

slender, horizontal stolons ; leaves septate-nodulose.

2. Perigynia 5-7 mm. long, inflated, the beak about 2 mm.

long ; achenes obovoid ; body of scale small

83. C. hystricina

2. Perigynia 4-5 mm. long, slightly inflated, the beak 1.5 mm.

long, their lateral ribs vanishing at the base of the beak ;

achenes oblong-obovoid; body of scale large

84. C. thurberi

1. Perigynia (especially the beak) flattened-triangular, scarcely

inflated, coriaceous, their lateral ribs prominently extending

into the teeth of the beak; culms not stoloniferous; leaves

very strongly septate-nodulose.

3. Teeth of perigynia recurved-spreading, 1.25-2 mm. long;

body of beak 1.5-2 mm. long; perigynium-stipe strongly

oblique 85. C. comosa

3. Teeth of perigynia erect, 1 mm. long; body of beak 1 mm.

long; perigynium-stipe straight 86. C. polysticha

19
30. SQUARROSAE

One species 87. C. frankii

31. VESICARIAE

One species 88. C. lurida

20

SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. § CAPITATAE

1. Carex capitata L. (3)

Carex capitata L., Syst. Nat. ed. 10.1261.1759.

Loosely to densely cespitóse, with short-creeping, purplish-red

rootstocks; culms 10-35 cm. high, slender, wiry, shorter than

to much longer than, the leaves, purplish-red at the base, the old

leaves persistent; leaves usually 2-4 to a culm, the blades involute, filiform, stiff, pale-green, the sheaths truncate at the

mouth with a very short ligule ; spike solitary, androgynous, globose or ovoid, 4-10 mm. long, 3-7 mm. wide, generally brownishgreen; bract none; pistillate scales orbicular to broadly ovate,

obtuse, dark-brown with broad hyaline margins and apex, shorter

and narrower than the perigynia ; perigynia spreading or ascending, plano-convex, ovate, 2.3-3.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, nerveless ventrally, finely few-nerved dorsally, sessile, the margin

smoother with only very sparse hairs, abruptly contracted into

a smooth, brownish short beak, less than 1 mm. long; achenes

lenticular, 1.5x1 mm.; stigmas 2, slender; rachilla bristlelike,

shorter than the achene.

Known in our area from only a single collection: marshes.

Mound Valley, south of Pacheco, Chihuahua, C. V. Hartman 687,

June 10, 1891 (F; GH; US). Alpine or subalpine; Greenland to

Hudson Bay and Alaska, southward very locally to New Hampshire, Alberta, Wyoming, Nevada, California, and northern

Mexico ; also northern Eurasia.

22
Plate 1. CAREX CAPITATA

23
2. § DIVISAE

2. Carex praegracilis W. Boott (19)

Carex praegracilis W. Boott, Bot. Gaz. 9: 87.1884

C. marcida Boott, in Hook., Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 212. 1839, not J. F.

Gmel. 1791.

Rootstocks thick, blackish, long-creeping; culms arising singly

in small clumps, 20-75 cm. high, sharply triangular, usually roughened above and exceeding the leaves; leaves clustered near the

base of the culms, flattened or somev^hat channeled, 1.5-3 mm.

wide, the sheaths truncate at the mouth, the ligule very short;

spikes 5-15, densely aggregated into a linear-oblong or oblongovoid head 1-5 cm. long, 5-10 mm. thick, the lov^er spikes sometimes separate, androgynous (occasionally almost entirely staminate or pistillate), the staminate flowers inconspicuous; scales

ovate, acuminate, or cuspidate, light chestnut with conspicuous

hyaline margins and pale midrib, wider and longer than the

perigynia ; perigynia plano-convex, ovate to ovate-lanceolate,

sharp-margined, 3-4 mm. long, about 1.5 mm. wide, brownishblack at maturity, coriaceous, dull, flat and nervveless ventrally,

rounded and lightly several-nerved dorsally, short-stipitate, tapering into a serrulate beak half the length of the body or more, the

orifice with overlapping hyaline edges; achenes lenticular, obovoid,

about 1.25 mm. long ; stig7nas slender, reddish-brown.

A polymorphic species fairly common in moist, open habitats,

chiefly on the plains but occasionally in open woods up to 9,000 ft.

from Chihuahua southward to the Distrito Federal. Manitoba,

Iowa, and Kansas westward to the Yukon, British Columbia, California, and Mexico, and adventive eastward.

24
Plate 2. CAREX PRAEGRACILIS

25
3. § POTOSINAE

3. Carex potosina Hemsl. (23)

Carex potosina Hemsl., Biol. Centr. Am. Bot. 3: 474.1885.

C. schaffneri W. Boott in S. Wats., Proc. Am. Acad. 18: 172. 1883,

not Bock. 1878.

Cespitóse, but with long, slender, deep-seated, brown, scaly rootstocks; culms stiff, 1.5-3 dm. high, clothed at the base with old

leaves; leaves with well-developed blades 4-10 to a culm, on the

lower fourth, the blades 1-2 dm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, rather thick,

flat, canaliculate, the margins roughened toward the apex, the

sheaths tight, thin and hyaline ventrally, thickened and prolonged

at the mouth, the ligule wider than long ; spikes 2-5, androgynous,

7x5 mm., forming a head 1-3 cm. long, 7 mm. wide; lowe7^ bracts

3-12 cm. long, 1 mm. wide, enlarged at the base, the upper scalelike; scales acuminate to awned, yellowish-brown with green,

three-nerved center and hyaline margins ; staminate flowers inconspicuous; perigynia few, erect-ascending or spreading, planoconvex, ovate, 5 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, very thick, coriaceous,

sulcate-nerved dorsally, strongly granular-tuberculate, serrulate

to the middle, sharp-edged to the substipitate base, rather abruptly

narrowed into a serrulate, bidentate and obliquely cut beak about

2 mm. long, dark-chocolate-brown with green upper margins;

achenes lenticular, 2.5x2 mm., substipitate, jointed with the

deciduous style which is enlarged at the base.

Frequent on dry plains and slopes up to 7,000 ft., Coahuila,

Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí.

26
Plate 3. CAREX POTOSINA

27
4. § BRACTEOSAE

4. Carex vallicola Dewey (31)

Carex vallicola Dewey, Am. Jour. Sei. IL 32: 40.1861.

Cespitóse from short-prolonged, fibrillose rootstocks; culms

slender, 2-6 dm. high, roughened on the angles below the head;

leaves about 3 to a culm, 1-1.5 mm. wide, thin, the sheaths light,

thin ventrally, the ligule very short, wider than long; spikes

closely aggregated into a dense, terminal, oblong-linear head,

1.5-2.5 cm. long, 6-8 mm. wide, the staminate flowers terminal

and inconspicuous; scales broadly triangular, shorter than the

perigynia, hyaline with the centers brownish and one-threenerved, acute to short-cuspidate; perigynia plano-convex, oblongelliptic, 3.5-3.75 mm. long, 1.75-2.25 mm. wide, margined, greenish or brownish-tinged, nerveless ventrally, obscurely nerved

dorsally, glossy at maturity, the margin more or less serrulate

above, abruptly narrowed into a minutely serrulate beak about

1 mm. long, obliquely cut and only shallowly bidentulate ; achenes

lenticular, orbicular, substipitate, 2x2 mm.

Rare or infrequent in dry soil in the mountains up to 9,500 ft. ;

Hidalgo and the State of Mexico. South Dakota to Montana,

Oregon, California and Mexico.

A characteristic of C, vallicola (and its var. hidalgensis) that

distinguishes it readily from other sedges is the dorsal bulging

of the mature perigynium. The distention is so pronounced that

the resultant stretching of the perigynium walls displaces the

thickened margins so that they run down the ventral surface of the

perigynium.

4a. Carex vallicola var. hidalgensis F. J. Herm. (31a)

Carex vallicola var. hidalgensis F. J. Herm., Brittonia 12: 78.

1960.

Differs from typical C. vallicola in its markedly broader and

prominently bidentate perigynium-beak which is not hyalinetipped. Also the inflorescence tends to be broader and subcapitate

rather than spiciform as in the typical form.

Rare or local on open mountain slopes ; known only from two

collections in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico (Buena Vista, C. G.

Pringle 13,i29 (GH; MICH), Aug. 6, 1904, and Pachuca, E.

Hernandez X. i65 (in part) (MICH), Aug. 27,1944).

28
Plate 4a. CAREX VALLICOLA

VAR. HIDALGENSIS

Plate 4. CAREX VALLICOLA

29
5. Carex involucratella Mack. (36)

Carex involucratella Mack., N. Amer. FI. 18 (1) : 50. 1931.

Rootstock short, stout, black, woody and fibrillose; culms 3-7

dm. high, phyllopodic, pale-brownish at the base, the old leaves

conspicuous ; leaves with well-developed blades 6-8 to a culm, on

the lower fourth, the blades 1.5-3 dm. long, 3-5.5 mm. wide,

rather thick, flat or channeled, roughened on the margins, the

sheaths tight, concave and slightly thickened at the mouth, the

ligule wider than long, usually colored on the margin; spikes 10-

20, androgynous, forming a head 2-3 cm. long, 1.35-1.60 cm. wide;

lower bracts elongate, the upper scale-like ; scales acute or cuspidate, greenish or whitish with light-yellowish-brown hyaline

margins, three-nerved ; staminate flowers inconspicuous ; perigynia

10-20 to a spike, appressed or ascending, plano-convex, 4.25 mm.

long, 2.5-3 mm. wide, submembranaceous, stramineous, ribbed

dorsally, sharp-margined, serrulate above, stipitate, the beak 1.5

mm. long, serrulate, dorsally cleft, bidentate, the teeth triangularsubulate, appressed, the sutures conspicuous; achenes lenticular,

2x1.75 mm., substipitate, apiculate, jointed with the short basally

enlarged style.

Infrequent or rare on dryish hillsides and roadsides in central

Mexico (San Luis Potosí, Queretaro, and Distrito Federal).

30
Plate 5. CAREX INVOLUCRATELLA

31
6. Carex occidentalis Bailey (38)

Carex occidentalis Bailey, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 1: 14. 1889.

Rootstocks short-creeping, stout, black, fibrillose; culms slender,

exceeding the leaves, sharply triangular, roughened above ; leaves

flat but the margins somewhat revolute, 1.5-2.5 mm. wide, the

sheaths tight, the ligule variable, sometimes longer than wide but

as often wider than long; spikes 4-10, the upper aggregated and

indistinguishable in the lax, oblong to linear-oblong head, 1.5-3

cm. long, the lower somewhat separate, androgynous, the staminate flowers inconspicuous, the perigynia loosely ascending or

somewhat spreading; scales ovate-triangular, about the length

of the perigynia but somewhat wider and largely concealing them,

acuminate or short-awned, brownish with opaque margins and

green center; perigynia plano-convex, oblong-elliptic, 2.5-4.5 mm.

long, 1.5-1.75 mm. wide, greenish straw-colored, in age brownish,

the sharp margin narrow and green, sparingly serrulate above

the middle, stipitate, abruptly narrowed into a serrulate, shallowly bidentate beak about one-third to one-half the length of the

hoay-y achenes lenticular, oblong-orbicular, 2x 1.5 mm.

The occurrence of this species in Mexico is questionable since

the record is based upon two very depauperate, atypical specimens

{E. Hernandez X, 486 & Í87) from a roadside bank (9,200 ft.).

Real del Monte, near Pachuca, Hidalgo (Aug. 27,1944), and a very

immature collection (D, E. Breedlove 19,216) from a steep, moist

slope, 3 mi. N. of Los Ornos along road to Ocurahui, Mun. de

Badiraguato, 6,500 ft, Sinaloa.

Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah southward to New Mexico,

Arizona, central Mexico ( ?), and California.

32
Plate 6. CAREX OCCIDENTALIS

33
7. Carex xalapensis Kunth (42)

Carex xalapensis Kunth, Enum. PI. 2: 380.1837.

Cespitóse from short, stout, black, fibrillose rootstoeks; culms

6-9 dm. high, 2.5-3 mm. thick at the dull-brown base, the old leaves

conspicuous ; leaves with well-developed blades about 5 to a culm,

on the lower third, the blades 1-3.5 dm. long, 2.5-3.25 mm. wide,

stifF, flat or channeled, roughened on the margins and toward the

apex, the sheaths tight, concave and slightly thickened at the

yellowish-brown-tinged mouth, the dark-margined ligule wider

than long; spikes 6-12, androgynous, 5 mm. long, forming a head

15-35 mm. long, about 1 cm. wide ; lower 2-3 bracts 2-4 cm. long,

slightly enlarged at the base; scales acuminate or cuspidate, reddish-brown or yellowish-brown-tinged, the center green, threenerved, the margins hyaline; staminate flowers inconspicuous;

perigynia 10-20 to a spike, 3-3.5 mm. long, 2-2.25 mm. wide,

ascending-spreading, plano-convex, membranaceous, light-green to

yellowish-brown, few-nerved dorsally, sharply margined, serrulate

above, corky-thickened below, substipitate, the beak 1 mm. long,

dorsally cleft, bidentate, the teeth subulate-triangular, the sutures

conspicuous ; achenes lenticular, 1 mm. long, filling the perigynia,

stipitate, apiculate, jointed with the style at its enlarged base.

Fairly common on open or wooded, usually dryish slopes ; occasional in moist (especialy pine) woods, up to 9,200 ft., from

Chihuahua, south to Chiapas, and Guatemala.

34
fàà

Plate 7. CAREX XALAPENSIS

35
5. § MULTIFLORAE

8. Carex agrostoides Mack. (55)

Carex agrostoides Mack., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34: 607.1908.

Densely cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks; culms 4-8 dm.

high, exceeding the leaves, roughened on the angles, the base

clothed with dried leaves; leaves very long-attenuate, 1-5 mm.

wide, stiff, flat below becoming involute and roughened above, the

sheaths tight, conspicuously white-hyaline and somewhat reddotted ventrally, the ligule wider than long ; spikes very numerous,

androgynous or staminate at the base and apex, aggregated into

a decompound head 4-12 cm. long, 8-20 mm. thick, the lower

usually more or less separate, the perigynia appressed; scales

oblong-ovate or lanceolate, rather obtuse or acuminate or shortawned, greenish-straw-colored or pale brown, the three-nerved,

green center becoming whitish in age, the margins conspicuously

hyaline, wider but slightly shorter than the perigynia ; perigynia

plano-convex, lanceolate-cuneate, 2.5-3.5 mm. long, 0.9-1.5 mm.

wide, light greenish, becoming straw-colored, narrowly sharpmargined to the round-tapering, short-stipitate base, serrulate

above, nerveless ventrally, obscurely few-nerved dorsally, tapering

above into a serrulate, bidentate, white-tipped beak as long as or

longer than the body; achenes lenticular, narrowly oblong-ovoid,

yellowish-brown, 1.5 x 0.5 mm., substipitate.

Occasional in arid habitats from Baja California and Chihuahua

to Durango, Mexico. Southern Arizona and New Mexico to Mexico.

36
Plate 8. CAREX AGROSTOIDES

37
9. Carex maríanensis Stacey (58)

Carex marianensis Stacey, Leafl. W. Bot. 2: 31.1937.

C. autumnalis Mack., N. Amer. Fl. 18(2) : 66. 1931, not Ohwi.

1930.

Rootstocks short, woody, blackish, fibrillose; culms 6-9 dm.

high, 4-5.5 mm. thick at the light-brownish base, smooth, phyllopodic; leaves with well-developed blades 5-8 to a culm, on the

lower fourth, the blades 1-2 dm. long, 3.5-6 mm. wide, flat, roughened on the slightly revolute margins toward the apex, the sheaths

tight, septate-nodulose dorsally, usually red-dotted ventrally and

high-convex near the mouth, the ligule very short ; spikes 8-20,

androgynous, forming a head 2-8 cm. long, 8-20 mm. wide ; lower

bracts setaceous, the upper scale-like; scales acute or cuspidate,

light-brown with one- three-nerved center and hyaline margins;

staminate flowers inconspicuous ; perigynia 5-20 to a spike, planoconvex, 3.5-4 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide, appressed or spreading,

membranaceous, greenish-straw-colored, obscurely nerved, sharpedged, serrulate above, spongy at the base, the beak 1.25 mm. long,

serrulate, dorsally cleft, bidentate; achenes lenticular, 2x1.5 mm.,

yellowish, stipitate, apiculate, jointed with the style.

Fairly common in meadows, occasionally in forests, chiefly in

the mountains up to 11,000 ft.; endemic to Mexico, from Chihuahua to Chiapas.

38
Plate 9. CAREX MARIANENSIS

39
10. Carex percostata F. J. Herrn. (58.1)

Carex percostata F. J. Herrn., Jour. Wash. Acad. Sei. 40(9) : 282.

1950.

Rootstocks stout, woody, short-creeping, blackish, fibrillose;

culms 3-6 dm. high, erect, about twice the length of the leaves,

bluntly triangular and coarsely ribbed, smooth except below the

head where scaberulous, phyllopodic ; leaves 3-6 to a fertile culm,

clustered near the base, the blades flat, stiff, dull-green, 1-3 dm.

long, 3-4 mm. wide, the margins roughened toward the longattenuate apex, the sheaths hyaline ventrally, scarcely prolonged

at the mouth, the ligule short, usually broader than long; head

broadly oblong to ovoid-oblong, 2-2.5 cm. long, 1-1.5 cm. wide,

the spikes 7-12, androgynous, aggregated or the lower more or

less separate, ovoid, with 5-8 ascending or at length spreading

perigynia, the staminate portion prominent; bracts squamiform,

the lower one or two generally abruptly setaceous-prolonged;

scales ovate, acute or short-cuspidate, narrower than, and about

the length of, the bodies of the perigynia, dirty-brown with very

narrow hyaline margins and stramineous, one- three-nerved

center ; perigynia unequally biconvex, oblong-ovoid, 4-5 mm. long,

2.25-2.5 mm. wide, lustrous, tawny-stramineous, the upper half

becoming brown, coriaceous, heavily 10-15-ribbed and furrowed

on both faces, scarcely sharp-edged, serrulate on the upper third,

abruptly tapering into a serrulate, bidentulate, dorsally cleft beak

one-fourth the length of the body, the base very spongy and

rounded or abruptly tapering to a short stipe; achencs lenticular,

obovate, olive-brown, 2.5 x 2.2 mm., apiculate.

Infrequent in meadows and swales, up to 7,000 ft. ; Chihuahua,

Durango, and Guerrero.

40
Plate 10. CAREX PERCOSTATA

41
6. § VULPINAE

11. Carex chihuahuensis Mack. (73)

Carex chilmaJmensis Mack., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 35: 265. 1908.

Loosely cespitóse from long-creeping rootstocks; culms 2-4

dm. high, aphyllopodic, slender, exceeding the leaves ; leaves clustered toward the base, flat or channeled, rather thick, 2-3 mm.

wide, roughened toward the apex, the sheaths tight, somewhat

red-dotted toward the mouth, the ligule very short, wider than

long; spikes densely aggregated (or the lower separate) into a

simple or somewhat compound, ovoid or oblong head, 2-7 cm.

long, 7-15 mm. thick, the spikes scarcely distinguishable, the

apical staminate flowers inconspicuous; scales oblong-ovate, obtuse, brown or light brownish with paler center and white-hyaline

margins, as wide as but somewhat shorter than the perigynia;

perigynia plano-convex, narrowly ovate, 3.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm.

wide, straw-colored or yellowish-brown-tinged, sharp-margined,

conspicuously several-nerved dorsally and less so ventrally, shortstipitate, serrulate above the middle, tapering into a serrulate,

deeply bidentate beak one-fourth to one-third the length of the

hoAy', achenes lenticular, oval, 1.5 x 1 mm.

Local in the mountains of Chihuahua, in both moist and rocky

habitats at 5,000 to 8,000 ft. ; also in southeastern Arizona (Pinaleno Mountains, Graham County).

42
/

Plate 11. CAREX CHIHUAHUENSIS

43
7. § STELLULATAE

12. Carex interior Bailey (105)

Carex interior Bailey, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 20:426.1893.

Densely cespitóse from short, dark-colored rootstocks; culms

erect or ascending, slender but firm, wiry and strict, sharply

triangular, 1.5-5 dm. high, usually longer than the leaves; leaves

about 3 to a culm, thin, flat or slightly channeled, 1-3 mm. wide,

the sheaths tight, the ligule wider than long; spikes 2-4(-6),

somewhat, but not closely, crowded into an oblong head, the terminal usually gynaecandrous and long-clavate, but sometimes entirely staminate and narrowly linear or almost entirely pistillate

and oblong, the 1-10 perigynia of the lateral spikes widely

spreading at maturity; scales broadly ovate, very obtuse, yellowish-brown with broad white-hyaline margins and green center,

half the length of the bodies of the perigynia ; perigynia concavoconvex, oblong-ovoid to deltoid, 2.25-3.25 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm.

wide, plump and firm, the body broadest just above the base,

thick-margined, olive-green becoming brown, several-nerved dorsally, nerveless to definitely nerved ventrally, rather abruptly

narrowed into a sparingly serrulate, shallowly bidentate beak

about one-third or one-fourth the length of the body, the ventral

false suture inconspicuous; achenes lenticular, broadly ovateorbicular, 1.25 X 1.5 mm.

In our area known from a single collection from Mexico : Canada

de Contreras, vicinity of Dinamo Quarter, 9,800 ft.. Distrito

Federal. Labrador to British Columbia, southward to Pennsylvania, Kansas, northern California, and central Mexico.

12a. Carex interior f. keweenawensis (F. J. Herm.) Fern. (105a)

Carex interior f. keweenawensis (F. J. Herm.) Fern., Rhodora 44 :

284.1942.

C. interior var. keweenaivensis F. J. Herm., Am. Midi. Nat. 25: 19.

1941.

Differing from typical C. interior in having the perigynia conspicuously nerved ventrally instead of nerveless or few-nerved

only at the base.

Known in our area from two collections in Mexico: Colonia

Garcia, and near Colonia Juarez, Sierra Madre, Chihuahua.

44
/ Plate 12. CAREX INTERIOR

45
13. Carex townsendîi Mack. (115)

Carex townsendii Mack., N. Amer. Fl. 18(2) : 111. 1931.

Cespitóse from short, blackish, fibrillose rootstocks; culms

2-3.5 dm. high, smooth or roughened beneath the head, brownish

and fibrillose at the base ; leaves 5-6 to a culm, on the lower third,

the blades 1-2 dm. long, 2-2.5 mm. wide, canaliculate, rather thick,

stiff, light-green, roughened above, erect or recurved-spreading,

the sheaths tight, hyaline and yellowish-green-tinged ventrally,

convex and slightly thickened at the mouth, the ligule wider than

long; spikes 5-8, pistillate or the uppermost gynaecandrous, 5-8

mm. long, 5-6 mm. wide, forming a head 2-4 cm. long; lower bract

setaceous, the others scale-like; scales rather obtuse, chestnutbrown with three-nerved, green center and hyaline margins;

staminate flowers few; perigynia 8-20 to a spike, 3-3.5 mm. long,

1.5-1.75 mm. wide, spreading, plano-convex, rather thick, membranaceous, lightly nerved dorsally, sharp-edged, serrulate toward

the beak, spongy at the base, the beak 1 mm. long, serrulate,

obliquely cut dorsally, bidentate; achenes lenticular, 1.75x1.5

mm., yellowish-brown, stipitate, apiculate, jointed with the deciduous style.

Occasional in bogs and on banks of streams in the mountains,

up to 11,000 ft., from Chihuahua to Guatemala.

46
/AN KV

Plate 13. CAREX TOWSENDII

47
14. Carex angustîor Mack. (117)

Carex angustior Mack, in Rydb., Fl. Rocky Mts. 124.1917.

Densely cespitóse from very short rootstocks; culms very

slender but strict, 1-6 dm. high, sharp-angled and roughened

above, about equaling the leaves; leaves 2-4 to a culm, 0.75-2

mm. wide, flat or channeled, the sheaths tight, more or less reddotted ventrally, the ligule as wide as long; spikes 2-5, approximate or little separate, the terminal gynaecandrous, the lateral

pistillate, 5-15-flowered, forming a head 1-2(3) cm. long, the

perigynia widely spreading at maturity; scales ovate, shorter

than the perigynia, yellowish with green midrib ; perigynia planoconvex, lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 2.5-3.5 mm. long. 1-1.4

mm. wide, nerveless ventrally and obscurely nerved dorsally, yellowish-brown, sharp-edged with slightly raised smooth margins,

tapering into a sparingly serrulate, deeply bidentate beak more

than half the length of the body; achenes lenticular, ovate, 1.75x

1 mm., yellowish.

Infrequent, usually in wet soil at high elevations; Distrito

Federal (Desierto de los Leones), Mexico and Departments of

Huehuetenango and Totonicapan, Guatemala. Newfoundland to

Maryland and in the mountains to North Carolina, westward to

Washington, California, Mexico, and Guatemala.

48
Plate 14. CAREX ANGUSTIOR

49
8. § DEWEYANAE

15. CarexbromoidesSchkuhr (120)

Carex bromoides Schkuhr in Willd., Sp. PI. 4: 258.1805.

Densely cespitóse from long, blackish, fibrillose rootstocks;

culms 2.5-8 dm. high, slender, rough on the angles above, brownish

and clothed with old leaves at the base ; leaves with well-developed

blades 2-5 to a fertile culm, on the lower fourth, the blades 3-7

cm. (up to 7 dm. on the sterile culms) long, 1-2.5 mm. wide, flat,

roughened on the margins and toward the apex, the sheaths tight,

thin and hyaline ventrally, concave and slightly thickened and

prolonged at the mouth ; spikes 2-7, gynaecandrous, androgynous,

pistillate or staminate, the lower 5-20 mm. long, 3-4 mm. wide,

forming a head 2-6 cm. long; lower bracts prolonged, the upper

scale-like ; scales thin, rather obtuse to acuminate, straw-colored or

brownish with three-nerved, green center and white-hyaline margins; perigynia 6-15 to a spike, 4.5-5 mm. long, 1-1.3 mm. wide,

erect-appressed, plano-convex, thin, membranaceous, pale-green,

few-nerved, sharp-margined to the middle, serrulate above, the

lower third corky, substipitate, the beak 1.5-2 mm. long, serrulate,

bidentate, the dorsal suture reddish-brown margined ; achenes

lenticular, 2 x 0.75 mm., tightly enveloped, yellowish-brown, stipitate, apiculate, jointed with the deciduous style.

Known in our area from a single collection : banks of brooks,

Trinidad 5,800 ft.. Hidalgo, Mexico (C. G. Pringle 8809, Apr. 30,

1904). Nova Scotia and Quebec to Wisconsin, southward to

Florida, Louisiana, and Hidalgo.

50
Plate 15. CAREX BROMOIDES

51
9. § OVALES

Subsection I. Festivas

16. Carex volcánica F. J. Herrn. (126.1)

Carex volcánica F. J. Herrn., Brittonia 23 (2) : 144.1971.

Cespitóse, but having stout, short-creeping rootstocks; culms

12-70 cm. high, strict, obtusely triquetrous, striate, 2-3.5 mm.

thick at the base, exceeding the leaves, aphyllopodic ; leaves with

well-developed blades 3-6 to a culm, aggregated toward the base,

the blades flat, 8-20 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, roughened toward

the acuminate apex, the sheaths tight, white-hyaline ventrally, the

ligule wider than long; spikes 4-12, gynaecandrous, oblong-ovoid,

6-9 mm. long, 3-6 mm. wide, sessile, with numerous, appressed

perigynia forming a head 1-2 cm. long, 7-15 mm. wide; bracts

shorter than the inflorescence; scales ovate-lanceolate, shortacuminate, brown with more or less hyaline margins, not concealing the perigynia ; perigynia thin-plano-convex, narrowly lanceolate, 3-4.75 mm. long, 1.1-1.5 mm. wide, chartaceous, brown or

blackish-brown, three- seven-nerved on both faces, very narrowly

winged, contracted to the sessile, spongy base, narrowed above

into a narrow, serrulate beak 1-1.5 mm. long, terete at the darkbrown apex; achenes lenticular, oblong-ovoid, 1.5x1 mm., sessile;

anthers short-persistent, apiculate, 1.3-1.75 mm. long.

Frequent to fairly common on slopes of volcanic mountains,

from 10,000 to 13,000 ft., in Mexico (Michoacan, Mexico, Distrito

Federal, Puebla, and Veracruz), and from the Department of

Huehuetenango (11,000 ft.), Guatemala.

52
Plate 16. CAREX VOLCÁNICA

53
17. CarexbonplandüKunth (134)

Carex bonplandn Kunth, Enum. PL 2: 380.1837.

Rootstocks long-creeping, slender ; culms arising one to several

together, sharply triangular, 0.5-6 dm. high, exceeding the leaves ;

leaves 2-8 to a culm, clustered at the base, rather thick, flat or

channeled, 1-3.5 mm. wide; spikes 3-12, distinct but more or less

aggregated into a head 1-3 cm. long, 0.5-2 cm. thick, the individual

spikes with 5-20 closely appressed perigynia with erect-appressed

beaks ; lower bract brownish with hyaline margins, dilated at the

base, cuspidate, short (0.5-1 cm.) to long and equaling or even exceeding the head ; scales ovate, light- to dark-chestnut-brown with

lighter midrib and narrow, hyaline margins, as wide as, but

shorter than, the perigynia ; perigynia plano-convex, or sometimes

concave ventrally, thick, coriaceous, narrowly ovate or lanceolate,

3-4 mm. long, 1-1.25 mm. wide, light-green becoming brownish,

very narrowly margined almost to the base, serrulate above the

middle, lightly several-nerved dorsally, few-nerved toward the

base ventrally, tapering into a serrulate, at length bidentulate,

beak half the length of the body or more, the tip terete, smooth,

chestnut-brown, hyaline at the orifice, the dorsal suture conspicuous to the top of the achene ; achenes lenticular, oblong-ovoid,

1.5-1.75x0.75-1 mm., short-stipitate, yellowish-brown; anthers

deciduous, apiculate, 1.5 mm. long.

Montane meadows and creek banks; Oaxaca (Sierra de San

Filipe, 10,000 ft.), Guatemala (Department of Huehuetenango) ;

fairly common in Costa Rica. Arizona (Gila County) to southern

Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Peru.

54
Plate 17. CAREX BONPLANDII

55
18. CarexpurdieiBoott (135)

Carexpurdiei Boott, 111. Carex 26, PI. 67.1858.

Cespitóse from creeping, stout, woody, blackish, fibrillose rootstocks; culms 2.3-8 dm. high, stiff, roughened beneath the head,

aphyllopodic, clothed with the old leaves at the light-brownish

base; leaves with well-developed blades 3-5 to a fertile culm, on the

lower third, their blades 1-2 dm. long, 1.5-3.5 mm. wide, rather

stiff, flat or canaliculate, the sheaths tight, thin and white-hyaline

ventrally, prolonged at the mouth, truncate; steiile shoots conspicuous; spikes 6-12, gynaecandrous or pistillate, 5-7 mm. long,

4-5 mm. wide, forming a head 2-4.5 cm. long; loivei' bracts

setaceous ; scales acutish, thin, light-chestnut-brown-tinged with a

green, three-nerved center and hyaline margins; perigynia 6-20

to a spike, appressed-ascending, ovate, 3.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide,

plano-convex, rather thick, subcoriaceous, greenish or yellowishgreen, finely nerved dorsally, sharp-edged, serrulate above the

middle, spongy at the stipitate base, the serrulate beak much

shorter (1 mm. long) than the body, obliquely cut dorsally,

bidentate, reddish-brown-tinged, the dorsal suture conspicuous;

achenes lenticular, 1.7x1 mm., yellowish or in age dark-colored,

stipitate, apiculate, jointed with the deciduous style.

Fairly common in wet habitats in the mountains of Costa Rica

at 6,000 to 10,000 ft. A collection from Iztaccihuatl, State of

Mexico, may be this species but it is too immature for certainty.

Also in Colombia.

56
Plate 18. CAREX PURDIEI

57
19. Carex subbracteata Mack. var. tolucensis F. J. Herrn. (143a)

Ca7^ex siihhracteata Mack. var. tolucensis F. J. Herrn., Brittonia

23(2): 145.1971.

Cespitóse froñi short, blackish, fibrillose rootstocks ; culms 3-10

dm. high, stiff, obtusely triangular, smooth, light-brownish at the

base ; leaves with well-developed blades, 3-5 to a fertile culm, on

the lower third, the blades 0.8-2.5 dm. long, 2.25-3.75 mm. wide,

flat, stiff, the sheaths tight, hyaline ventrally, thin and prolonged

at the mouth ; spikes 4-10, gynaecandrous, 6-10 mm. long, 4-6 mm.

wide, forming a head 14-22 mm. long ; lower bracts dilated at the

base, brown with hyaline margins; scales more or less obtuse,

reddish-brown with pale center and white-hyaline margins ; staminate flowers few; perigynia 10-20 to a spike, 4.25-4.5 mm. long,

2.25 mm. wide, appressed-ascending, plano-convex, thick, coriaceous, dull-greenish to yellowish-brown, nerveless, serrulate above,

spongy at the substipitate base, abruptly narrowed into an incurved, serrulate, bidentulate beak about 1 mm. long, hyaline at

the apex; achenes lenticular, 2x 1.5 mm., thick, substipitate, apiculate, jointed with the deciduous style.

Known from a single collection; steep hillside (west-facing slope

covered with Pinus-Abies woods and tussock grasses), 9,186 ft.,

17 mi. S.W. of Toluca on road to Temaxcaltepec, State of Mexico,

July 9,1964, G. Mick & K. Roe 236 (MICH). Typical C. subbractea

is found in the Coast Ranges of California.

58
Plate 19. CAREX SUBBRACTEATA VAR. TOLUCENSIS

59
Subsection II. Festucaceae

20. Carex diehlii M. E. Jones ex F. J. Herrn. (166.1)

Carex diehlii M. E. Jones ex F. J. Herrn., Amer. Midi. Nat. 51 (1) :

268.1954.

Cespitóse from stout, brown rootstocks; culms 3.4-5 dm. high,

stiff, almost twice the length of the leaves, coarsely striate, obtusely triangular and smooth below, somewhat acutely angled and

more or less scabridulous below the heads; leaves with welldeveloped blades 3-5 to a fertile culm, chiefly on the lower third,

the blades conspicuously canaliculate, erect, 4-15 cm. long, 1.5-4

mm. wide, the long-attenuate, scabridulous apex more or less

trigonous, the sheaths tight, ventrally white-hyaline, thin, generally ruptured and sometimes brown-stained in age, concave at

the mouth, becoming strongly fibrillose with age, the ligule slighlty

wider than long; spikes 5-7, gynaecandrous, sessile, aggregated

into an ovoid to iDroadly oblong head 15-20 mm. long, 10-14 mm.

wide, the perigynia 9-20, ascending to erect-appressed ; bracts

prolonged-squamiform, long attenuate, the lowermost sometimes

almost leaf-like and somewhat exceeding to twice the length of

the head ; scales oblong-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, chestnutbrown, narrowly hyaline-margined, prominently one-nerved,

carínate and hyaline along the midrib, 4 mm. long, not concealing

the perigynia ; perigynia plano-convex, narrowly ovate-lanceolate,

4 mm. long, 1.6-1.9 mm. wide, coriaceous, stramineous, nerveless

ventrally or faintly ñve- seven-nerved toward the base, dorsally

five- nine-nerved or ribbed, very slightly distended over the achene,

narrowly wing-margined, narrowed to the rounded, sessile or

minutely substipitate spongy base, the body serrulate on the

margins above, tapering into a dark, flat, shallowly bidentate

beak 1-1.5 mm. long; achenes lenticular, oblong, 1.7x1 mm.,

glossy, gray flecked with dark-red.

Known only from two collections, both from Chihuahua:

meadow valley, 7,000 ft., Sierra Madre Mountains, M, E, Jones,

Sept. 17, 1903, and Majalca, Harde Le Sueur 1130, June 24, 1936.

60
Plate 20. CAREX DIEHLII

61
21. Carexbrevoir (Dewey) Mack. (167)

C. brevior (Dewey) Mack, in Lunell, Am. Midi. Nat. 4: 235. 1915.

C. straminea var. brevior Dewey, Am. Jour. Sei. 11: 158. 1826.

Cespitóse from short-prolonged, woody rootstocks ; culms 3-10

dm. high, sharply triangular, exceeding the leaves ; leaves 3-6 to

a culm, on the lower one-third, 1.5-4 mm. wide, the sheaths

tight, conspicuously white-hyaline ventrally; spikes 3-10, gynaecandrous, usually more or less clávate at the base, generally

separated in a moniliform inflorescence but occasionally aggregated into a short head, the 8-20 perigynia with spreadingascending beaks ; scales ovate, acuminate, yellowish-brown with

green center and narrow hyaline margins, reaching to the middle

or tip of the perigynium-beak ; perigynia plano-convex or slightly

concavo-convex, broadly ovate to suborbicular, 3.5-5.5 mm. long,

2.5-3.5 mm. wide, usually broadest near the middle, firm, coriaceous, green to greenish-white, strongly wing-margined to the

rounded or subtruncate base, finely serrulate to below the middle,

strongly several- to many-nerved dorsally, nerveless or faintly

few-nerved ventrally, more or less abruptly narrowed into a flat,

finely serrulate, strongly bidentate beak less than one-third the

length of the body; achenes lenticular, orbicular, 1.75-2x1.5-1.75

mm., yellowish-brown, substipitate.

In our area known from a single collection : La Vengoma, 3,200

ft., vicinity of San José, Sierra de San Carlos, Tamaulipas, H. H,

Bartlett 10088, July 5, 1930. It is a species of plains and both dry

and moist openings in the mountains. Quebec to British Columbia,

southward to Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, northern Mexico, Idaho,

and Oregon.

62
ri:

Plate 21. CAREX BREVIOR

63
22. CarexpeucophilaHolm (168)

Carex peucophila Holm, Contr. U. S. Nati. Herb. 8: 290 1905

C. oreades C. A. Mey., in Galeotti, Bull. Acad. Brux. 9(2) • 248

name only, 1842. '

C.pinetorum Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 263 1850 not

WiUd. 1836. ' '

C. straminea var. australis Bailey, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 1: 23.

loo9.

C. lagunensis M. E. Jones, Contr. W. Bot. 18:26.1933-35.

Rootstocks long, slender, brownish, fibrillose; culms 5-40 cm.

long, 1.5-3 mm. wide at the dull-brownish base, erect or arcuate,

obtusely triangular, roughened below the head; leaves with welldeveloped blades 2-4 to a fertile culm, on the lower fourth their

blades 3-15 cm. long, 1.25-2.5 mm. wide, flat or channeled, thin,

ñrm, dull-green, obscurely septate-nodulose, the margins revolute

roughened towards the attenuate apex, the sheaths rounded dorsally, tight and white-hyaline ventrally, truncate at the mouth, the

hgule wider than long; spikes 3-6, gynaecandrous, 5.5-9 mm. long,

4.5-6 mm. wide, aggregated into a head 1-2 cm. long, 7-15 mm!

wide; lowest bract often prolonged, the upper reduced; scales

obtuse, rounded on the back, chestnut-brown with three-nerved

green center and white-hyaline apex and upper margins; staminate

flowers few; perigynia 7-22 to a spike, 4-4.5 mm. long, 1.75-2.25

mm. wide, appressed-ascending, plano-convex, thickish, ñrm, subcoriaceous, dull-green or brownish, nerveless ventrally and nearly

so to finely nerved dorsally, wing-margined, serrulate above, substipitate, the beak abont 1 mm. long, serrulate and flat nearly to

the apex (but sometimes terete for up to 0.5 mm. below the

white-hyaline orifice), obliquely cut, entire or bidentulate, dullreddish-brown-tipped; achenes lenticular, 2x1.5 mm., yellowish

substipitate, subapiculate, jointed with the style.

A polymorphic species very common in the mountains, at 8,000

to 15,000 ft., from Baja California and Durango to Guatemala

(Sierra de los Cuchumatanes), especially on the volcanic peaks

m the State of Mexico and Hidalgo.

64
Plate 22. CAREX PEUCOPHILA

65
23. Carex egglestoniî Mack. var. festivelliformis F. J. Herrn.

(171a)

Carex egglestonii Mack. var. festivelliformis F. J. Herrn., Brittonia

12(1): 78.1960.

Cespitóse from short, woody, blackish, fibrillose rootstocks;

culms 2-5 dm. high, roughened on the angles below the head, lightbrown at the base, clothed with old leaves; leaves with welldeveloped blades 3-6 to a fertile culm, on the lower third, their

blades 0.8-2 dm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, flat, thickish, the sheaths

white-hyaline ventrally, the ligule about as long as wide; spikes

2-6, gynaecandrous, 8-10x4-7 mm., aggregated in a ovoid or

oblong-ovoid head or a short moniliform spike 12-20 mm. long;

lowest bract 10-40 mm. long, the upper scale-like ; scales acutish

to acuminate, chestnut-brown with lighter midvein and the

margins sometimes hyaline; staminate flowers few; perigynia

numerous, 4.75-6 (rarely 7.5) mm. long, 1.5-2.25 mm. wide,

exceeding the scales, appressed-ascending, flattened concavoconvex, thin, membranaceous, brownish, nerveless, serrulate, the

winged margins sometimes slightly crenulate, the beak 1.5-2 mm.

long, flat, serrulate, obliquely cut dorsally, bidentate, the orifice

brown, sometimes hyaline-margined; achenes lenticular, 2-2.25x

1.25 mm., substipitate, apiculate, jointed with the deciduous style.

Occasional to locally rather common in mountain meadows and

open pine forests, at 9,000 to 12,000 ft., from Chihuahua to the

Distrito Federal, Mexico.

66
Plate 23. CAREX EGGLESTONII VAR. FESTIVELLIFORMIS

67
Subsection III. Alatae

24. Carex longii Mack. (182)

Carex longii Mack., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 49: 372.1922.

Densely cespitóse from short, blackish, fibrillose rootstocks;

culms 3-8 dm. high, roughened on the angles below the head, lightbrownish-tinged and clothed with old leaves at the base; leaves

with well-developed blades 2-4 to a fertile culm, on the lower

half, their blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 1.75-4 mm. wide, flat, rather

thick, roughened on the margins and toward the apex, the sheaths

tight, green-striate ventrally nearly to the mouth, prolonged at

the mouth and continuous with the ligule; spikes 3-10, gynaecandrous, 6-12 mm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, silvery-green or brownish, aggregated in a head 2-4 cm. x 5-12 mm. ; bracts short, setaceous ; scales obtuse to somewhat acute, silvery-hyaline with green,

three-nerved center; perigynia numerous, 3-4.5 mm. long, 1.8-2.2

mm. wide, appressed-ascending, flat-plano-convex, broadly obovate, the body widest near the top, membranaceous, distended over

the achene, silvery- or light-brownish-green, slenderly nerved on

both faces, wing-margined nearly to the base, serrulate, the beak

0.5 mm. long, flat, serrulate, obliquely cut dorsally, bidentulate;

achenes lenticular, 1.5x0.75 mm., yellowish-brown, substipitate,

apiculate, jointed with the deciduous style.

Fairly common in moist to wet habitats in the mountains from

4,000 to 9,500 ft., from San Luis Potosí to Costa Rica. Massachusetts to Florida and Costa Rica, westward to Michigan, Indiana,

Texas and Mexico.

68
Plate 24. CAREX LONGII

69
Subsection IV. Tribuloideae

25. Carextribuloides Wahl. (186)

Carex tribuloides Wahl., Sv. Vet.-Akad. Nya Handl. 24:145. 1803.

Cespitóse from short, blackish fibrillose rootstocks ; ndms 6-9

dm. high, the sides concave, roughened on the angles below the

head, clothed at the base with old leaves; leaves with well-developed blades 4-10 to a fertile culm, on the lower half, their blades

1.5-4 dm. long, 2.25-7 mm. wide, flat, stiff, roughened especially

on the revolute margins and toward the apex, the sheaths loose

green-striate ventrally, slightly thickened, concave, white-hyaline

and often dark-banded at the mouth, short-prolonged, the ligule

longer than wide ; spikes 5-15, gynaecandrous, 6-12 x 4-8 mm

straw-colored or greenish, in a head 2.5-5 cm. long, 0.8-2 cm wide •

lowest bract often setaceous, the upper scale-like; scales acute or

acuminate, light-yellowish-brown with white-hyaline margins and

green, three-nerved center; staminate flowers inconspicuouspengyma numerous, lanceolate, 3-5 mm. long, 1-1.5 mm. wide!

erect-ascending, flat-plano-convex, membranaceous, distended over

the achene, greenish or straw-colored, nerved on both faces

strongly margined with pellucid wings, serrulate above, shortstipitate, the beak 1-1.2 mm. long, flat, serrulate, obliquely cut

dorsally, bidentate, the orifice white-hyaline margined; achenes

lenticular, 1.5x0.5-0.75 mm., stipitate, apiculate, jointed with the

deciduous style.

Known in our area from a single collection : near Jalapa 4,000

ft, Vera Cruz, Mexico, C. G. Pringle 7802, Apr. 27, 1899' (GH;

USA). A species of swamps and wet meadows, ranging from

Quebec to Minnesota, southward to Florida, Louisiana, and

Mexico.

70
Plate 25. CAREX TRIBULOmES

71
Subsection V. Foeneae

26. Carex xerántica Bailey (191)

Carex xerántica Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 17:151.1892.

Cespitóse from short-creeping, fibrillose rootstocks ; citlms 3-6

dm. high, stiff, erect, much exceeding the leaves ; leaves 2 or 3 to a

culm, flat, rather stiff, 2-3 mm. wide; spikes 3-6, gynaecandrous, approximate but distinct, forming a usually elongate inflorescence 2-5 cm. long, the perigynia closely appressed; scales

ovate, thin, light reddish-brown with green center and whitehyaline margins, about the size of the perigynia and nearly

concealing them until overripe; perigynia flat, except where distended by the achene, ovate, 4-6 mm. long, 2-2.5 mm. wide,

usually broadest below the middle, greenish, straw-colored or

pale-brown, broadly winged to the base, serrulate to below the

middle, lightly nerved dorsally, nerveless or nearly so ventrally,

tapering into a broad, flat, serrulate, bidentate beak 1-1.3 mm.

long, reddish-brown at the tip; achenes lenticular, quadratesuborbicular, 2.5 x 1.5-1.75 mm. ; anthers early deciduous.

Known in our area from two collections from Durango, Mexico :

open grassland in pine-oak woodland, gentle west-facing slope of

broad arroyo, tributary to Rio Presidio, 7,800 to 8,200 ft., ca. 5 mi.

north of railroad at Coyotes, /. H. Maysilles 8283, Aug. 8, 1955

(MICH), and, open pine-oak woods 5i^ mi. east of El Salto, ca.

55 mi. southwest of Durango, Î7. L. Waterfall & C. S. Wallis

13592, Aug. 12, 1957 (US). Manitoba to Alberta, southward to

central Mexico.

72
Plate 26. CAREX XERÁNTICA

73
Subsection VI. Athrostachyae

27. Carex athrostachya Olney (195)

Carex athrostachya Olney, Proc. Am. Acad. 7: 393.1868.

Cespitóse from very short-prolonged, fibrillose rootstocks;

culms 0.5-6 dm. high, slender, more or less equaling the leaves;

leaves 2-4 to a culm, usually clustered on the lower third, the

blades flat, 1.5-5 mm. wide, firm, yellowish-green; spikes 4-20,

gynaecandrous, aggregated into a head 1-2 cm. long, 7-20 mm.

wide, or the lowest somewhat separate, the perigynia appressedascending; bracts usually strongly developed (at least one to three

of the lower), 1-6 cm. long, and exceeding the head, spreading

or ascending, the upper bracts scalelike; scales oblong-ovate,

acute or short-cuspidate, brownish to reddish-brown with green

center and white-hyaline margins, somewhat shorter than the

perigynia; perigynia lanceolate-ovate, 3-5 mm. long, 1.25-1.75

mm. wide, flat except where distended by the achene, membranaceous, lightly several-nerved on both faces or nerveless ventrally, light-green to straw-colored or brownish, wing-margined

nearly to the base, the upper half strongly ciliate-serrulate, tapermg into a shallowly bidentate beak, its tip little flattened or serrulate ;achenes lenticular, oblong-oval, 1.25-1.5 x 0.75-1 mm.

Known in our area from a single collection : on stream banks in

narrow, semi-moist gorge, 11,000 ft.. Paraje Province, Popocatepetl, State of Mexico, E. K, Balls U20U, April 13, 1948 (US).

Alaska southward to North Dakota, California, Arizona, and

Mexico.

74
Plate 27. CAREX ATHROSTACHYA

75
10. § FILIFOLIAE

28. Carex arsenii Kükenth. (203)

Carex arsemi Kükenth., Repert. Sp. Nov. 8: 326.1910.

Densely cespitóse from short, black, fibrillose rootstocks ; cvlms

2.5-6 dm. high, rough below the head, yellowish-brown-tinged at

the base; leaves 2-4 to a fertile culm, bunched at the base of the

culms, their blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide, flat or canaliculate, rather thick, attenuate, the sheaths tight, hyaline ventrally,

yellowish-brown-tinged, short-prolonged and truncate at the

mouth, the ligule short, dark-margined; spike solitary, androgynous, 2.5-4 cm. long, 2.5-3.5 mm. wide, bractless; scales obtuse,

the lowest awned, light-reddish-brown with lighter midvein and

white-hyaline margins; perigynia 15-30, concealed by the scales,

2.5-3 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, appressed, flattened-trigonous, membranaceous, slightly inflated, green, yellowish-brown-tinged,

sparsely short-hispid, especially on the angles above, two-keeled,

the beak 0.5 mm. long, hyaline; achenes lenticular or trigonous,

2 X 0.75 mm., brown or dull-green, apiculate, jointed with the

short, deciduous style.

Occasional in Michoacan at 5,000 to 6,000 ft. ; also known from

Jalisco and the State of Mexico.

76
'1

'Al

Plate 28. CAREX ARSENII

77
29. Carex longissima M. E. Jones (203.1)

Carex longissima M. E. Jones, Contr. W. Bot. 18: 26. 1933.

Densely cespitóse; culms 2-5 dm. high, very slender; leaves

2-5 to a fertile culm, about equaling the culms and aggregated at

their base, the blades filiform, mostly 0.5 mm. wide, canaliculate

or flat, attenuate; spike solitary, densely flowered, androgynous,

the lower third pistillate, 4.5-6 cm. long, 2 mm. wide, usually

flexuous, bractless; scales obtuse, about 4 mm. long, chestnutbrown, the pistillate aristate, concealing the perigynia ; perigynia

numerous, oblong, 3 mm. long, 1-1.25 mm. wide, closely appressed,

flattened-trigonous, membranaceous, nerveless, sparsely shorthispid above, pale-yellowish-brown, sessile, abruptly contracted

into a tubular, short-hispid beak 1 mm. long, obliquely cut at the

apex ; achenes trigonous, 2 x 0.75 mm., straw-colored, subsessile,

apiculate.

Known only from the type collection: in clefts or rocks along

trail, about the lower edge of the Middle Temperate life zone.

Laguna Mountains, Baja California, M. E, Jones 27594', Sept. 22,

1930 (POM).

78
Plate 29. CAREX LONGISSIMA

79
30. Carex oreocharîs Holm (204)

Carex oreocharis Holm, Amer. Jour. Sei. IV. 9: 358.1900.

Densely cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks; culms stiff,

rather stout and slenderly sulcate, 1-3.5 dm. high, exceeding the

leaves; leaves 2 or 3 to a culm, clustered near the base, thickish,

1.5-2 mm. wide, flattened-canaliculate toward the base, deeply

channeled toward the attenuate apex, the sheaths very thin, the

ligule wider than long; spike solitary, androgynous, 2-4 cm. long,

the staminate part very conspicuous, 1-2 cm. long, many- flowered,

the staminate scales oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, pale straw-colored,

the pistillate part 4-6.5 mm. wide with 3-10 erect-appressed perigynia, the pistillate scales broadly orbicular, wider than and partly

enveloping the much longer perigynia, the lower often empty, the

lowermost usually conspicuously awned and bractlike ; perigynia

oblong-obovoid, 4-4.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, yellowish-green, substipitate, obscurely two-ribbed, otherwise nerveless, shortpubescent above, contracted into a cylindric, hyaline-tipped beak

about 1 mm. long; achenes trigonous, 3 x 1.75 mm., yellowish.

Known in our area from a single collection: on rolling hills

covered with agave, yucca and low mesquite, 7 mi. N.E. of Jimulco,

Coahuila, Mexico, Stanford, Retherford & Northcraft 35, June 28,

1941 (GH). Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, and northern Mexico.

80
Plate 30, CAREX OREOCHARIS

81
11. § MONTANAE

31. Carex physorhyncha Liebm. (215)

Carex physorhyncha Liebm. in Steud., Syn. Cyp. 219. 1855.

C, rhynchophysa Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 64. 1850,

not C. A. Meyer, 1844.

Loosely cespitóse and stoloniferous ; stolons slender, brownish,

scaly, up to 8 cm. long; culms 25-35 cm. high, slender, roughened

above, phyllopodic, reddish and fibrillose at the base, clothed with

old leaves ; sterile shoots aphyllopodic ; leaves with well-developed

blades 4-8 to a fertile culm, on the lower fourth, the blades 1-2

dm. long, 1.75-2.75 mm. wide, the upper reduced, flat or canaliculate, roughened toward the attenuate apex and on the revolute

margins, the sheaths concave at the mouth ; terrrjiinal spike staminate, 5-8 x 2 mm. ; lateral spikes 3-4, pistillate, 4-7 mm. long,

3-5 mm. wide, with 6-12 appressed-erect perigynia ; lowest bracts

scale-like, sheathless, the upper reduced; scales nearly equaling

the perigynia, acute or the pistillate cuspidate, with three-nerved,

green center and hyaline margins ; perigynia obtusely trigonous,

2.5-3 mm. long, 0.8-1 mm. wide, membranaceous, puberulent, tworidged, spongy at the stipitate base, the beak 0.75 mm. long, bidentate, hyaline, whitish-tipped; achenes trigonous with convex

sides, 1.5 X 1 mm., minutely pitted, truncate and minutely apiculate at the apex, jointed with the deciduous style.

Known in Mexico from two Hidalgo collections : wet woodlands

near Trinidad Iron Works, 5,700 ft., C. G. Pringle 8965, Apr. 30,

1904 (ENCB; F; GH; US) and, open pine woods near Tejocotal,

6,600 ft., between Acarochitlan and Puebla border on Huauchinango road, H, E, Moore 2836, May 13, 1947 (GH). Southern Virginia to Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Hidalgo.

82
Plate 31. CAREX PHYSORHYNCHA

83
32. Carex turbinata Liebm. (218)

Carex turbinata Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 265. 1850.

Loosely cespitóse from short, rather thick, woody rootstocks, sending forth ascending or rather short-creeping horizontal stolons; culms slender, 2.5-5 dm. high, phyllopodic, rough

above, fibrillose at the brownish-tinged base; leaves with welldeveloped blades 5-8 to a fertile culm, clustered near the base,

their blades 1-3 dm. long, 2-3.5 mm. wide, canaliculate, firm,

thickish, with revolute margins, the sheaths whitish ventrally,

ligule wider than long; terminal spike staminate, 1-2 cm. long,

2.25-2.5 mm. wide; lateral spikes 2-3, pistillate, with 5-15 perigynia, 5-12 mm. long, 4-6 mm. wide ; lowest bract sheathless, 1-2

mm. wide, slightly colored at the base, the upper reduced ; scales

obtuse to cuspidate, reddish-brown with green, three-nerved

center and hyaline margins; perigynia suborbicular, 3.5 mm. long,

1.5-1.75 mm. wide, ascending, membranaceous, puberulent, twokeeled and many-nerved, spongy at the stipitate base, the beak

broad-conic, 0.5 mm. long, two-edged, hyaline or colored at the

apex ; achenes trigonous with convex sides and prominent blunt

angles, 1.75 x 1.6 mm., dull-yellowish-brown, puncticulate, substipitate, truncate and bent-apiculate, jointed with the short style.

Occasional in Chihuahua and Durango to fairly common in

central Mexio, in the mountains at 2,000 to 10,000 ft.

84
Plate 32. CAREX TURBINATA

85
33. Carex leucodonta Holm (219)

Carex leucodonta Holm, Am. Jour. Sei. IV. 16: 461.1903.

C. ringens Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 9: 117. 1884, not C. ringens Thuill.

1799.

Loosely cespitóse from coarse, woody rootstocks ; culms slender,

2-4 dm. high, clothed at the base with the dried leaves of the

preceeding year, much exceeding the leaves ; leaves 5-8 to a culm,

clustered near the base, 2-8.5 mm. wide, rather thick and firm,

dull-green, channeled above, the margins revolute, the sheaths

whitish ventrally, the ligule much wider than long; staminate

spike solitary, linear, short-peduncled, 1-3 cm. long; pistillate

spikes 2 or 3, the upper approximate, the lower more or less

strongly separate, sessile, or very short-peduncled, orbicular to

short-oblong, 5-10 mm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, with 4-10 perigynia; lowest bracts leaflike, from slightly exceeding to shorter

than the culms; upper bracts reduced; scales ovate-lanceolate,

acuminate or short-awned, sharply keeled, narrower but somewhat longer than the perigynia, whitish-hyaline with green center; perigynia obovoid, 3.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, nearly globose,

dull green to straw-colored, very short-pubescent, two-keeled and

many-ribbed, stipitate, abruptly contracted into a short, erect,

cylindric, very shallowly bidentate beak 0.5 mm. long; achenes

suborbicular, trigonous, with prominent blunt angles, 2 x 1.8 mm.

Frequent on mountain slopes at 5,000 to 8,000 ft., usually in

open pine-oak forests, from Sonora and Chihuahua, southward to

Nuevo Leon and Jalisco. Southern Arizona and northern Mexico.

86
Plate 33. CAREX LEUCODONTA

87
34. Carex geophila Mack. (231)

Carex geophila Mack., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 40: 546.1913.

Densely cespitóse from much branched rootstocks ; culms 3-10

cm. high, conspicuously fibrillose at the base, slender but stiff,

very rough on the angles, much shorter than, and mostly hidden

among the bases of, the leaves ; leaves 5-10 to a culm, channeled

above, much roughened, 1.5-2.5 mm. wide, the sheaths little, if at

all, filamentose ventrally, the ligule somewhat wider than long;

terminal spike staminate, slender 5-15 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm.

wide, rather strongly peduncled; pistillate spikes 2-5, mostly 5-

15-flowered, the upper one or two usually approximate, the others

widely separate and basal; bract of upper spike (sometimes lacking) scalelike, somewhat sheathing, shorter than the inflorescence; scales ovate, acute to cuspidate, reddish-brown (except

those of the basal spikes) with green center and hyaline margins,

about the size of the perigynia but not concealing them; perigynia suborbicular, 3.25-4 mm. long, 1.75 mm. wide, two-keeled,

otherwise nerveless or nerved at the base, conspicuously stipitate

(the stipe 0.5-0.75 mm. long), abruptly contracted into a conic,

serrulate, bidentate beak 0.5-0.75 mm. long; achenes trigonous

with convex sides and prominent angles, stipitate, 2.25 x 1.75 mm.

Occasional on dry slopes, at 10,000 to 13,000 ft. ; State of Mexico,

Puebla, Veracruz, Mexico, and Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Guatemala. Colorado to New Mexico, Arizona, central Mexico, and

Guatemala.

88
Plate 34. CAREX GEOPHILA

89
12. § TRIQUETRAE

35. Carex triquetra Boott (252)

Carex triquetra Boott, Trans. Linn. Soc. 20: 126.1846.

Cespitóse ; culms 3-6 dm. high, stiff, smooth or roughened above,

phyllopodic, cinnamon-brown-tinged at the base ; leaves with welldeveloped blades 3-6 to a fertile culm, on the lower half, their

blades 1-2 dm. long, 2.5-6 mm. wide, rigid, flat with revolute

margins, vesicular-roughened, the sheaths tight, cinnamon-browntinged and red-dotted ventrally, concave at the mouth, the ligule

wider than long ; terminal spike staminate, 1-3 cm. long, 2-4 mm.

wide; lateral spikes usually 3 with 5-30 perigynia, pistillate or

androgynous, the lower remote, peduncled, 1-4.5 cm. long, 4-7 mm.

wide ; bracts short, the lower long-sheathing ; scales obtuse to acute,

or the pistillate cuspidate, copper-red with green or greenish

three-ribbed center and hyaline margins; perigynia sharply trigonous, 4-4.5 mm. long, 2.5-2.8 mm. wide, ascending, membranaceous, grayish-green, pubescent, obscurely nerved, the beak

minute, 0.3 mm. long, bidentate ; achenes trigonous with concave

sides, 3.5 x 2.5 mm., closely enveloped, puncticulate, jointed with

the short, thickish style.

Known in Mexico from a single collection: near Encenda, Baja

California, M. £7. Jones 37U, Apr. 10, 1882 (MICH; US). Southern California and northern Baja California.

90
Plate 35. CAREX TRIQUETRA

91
36. Carexplanostachys Kunze (258)

Cwrex planostachys Kunze, Suppl. Riedgr. 138, PI. 35.1844.

Cespitóse from short, stout, branching rootstocks ; culms from

very short to 2 dm. high, phyllopodic, rough on the angles, brownish at the base ; leaves clustered above the base, their blades from

very short to 3 dm. long, 1-2.5 mm. wide, flat above, channeled at

the base, stiff, rough, papillate, attenuate, the sheaths tight, truncate, becoming filamentose, the ligule very short ; terminal spike

staminate, sessile or short peduncled, 8-12 mm. long, 1.5-3 mm.

wide ; lateral spikes pistillate, 1-2 contiguous with the staminate

spike and with several basal ones on slender scabrous peduncles,

the non-basal spikes erect, contiguous or somewhat separated,

sessile or peduncled, short-oblong, or linear-oblong, 5-10 mm.

long, 3-4 mm. wide, with 6-12 perigynia ; lowest bract of upper

spikes setaceous, attenuate, strongly sheathing, the upper reduced ;

scales obtusish or acute or the pistillate cuspidate, greenish-white

with several-nerved center; perigynia trigonous, 3.5 mm. long,

1.75 mm. wide, ascending, membranaceous, hispidulous, finely

ribbed, substipitate at the spongy base, the beak very short (0.5

mm.), straight or bent, with obliquely cut orifice; achenes sharply

trigonous with concave sides, closely enveloped, substipitate,

minutely apiculate, jointed with the short, thickish style.

Fairly common (sometimes locally abundant) in dry, rocky soil,

at 3,000 to 8,000 ft., chiefly in eastern MexFco from Chihuahua to

Guatemala. Texas to Guatemala.

92
Plate 36. CAREX PLANOSTACHYS

93
13. § SCHIEDEANAE

37. Carex Schiedeana Kunze (261)

Carex schiedeana Kunze, Suppl. Riedgr. 119, PL 30.1842.

Cespitóse from thick, matted rootstocks; culms 1.4-5 dm. high,

phyllopodic, roughened above, brownish-black and fibrillose at the

base, the old leaves conspicuous ; leaves with well-developed blades

6-10 to a fertile culm, clustered near the base, the blades 1-2 dm.

long, 1.5-3 mm. wide, flat or channeled at the base, little if at

all revolute, stiff, thick, papillate above, light-green, the sheaths

tight, the ligule short; spikes 4-7, androgynous, 5-10 mm. long,

4-6 mm. wide, with 5-10 perigynia, in a head 1.25-3 cm. long;

cladoprophyllum conspicuous, perigynium-like ; bracts leaf-like,

much exceeding the inflorescence, sheathless; scales obtuse to

cuspidate, white with three-nerved, green center and white-hyaline

margins, often brownish-tinged ; perigynia ovoid, trigonous, 3-3.5

mm. long, 1.75 mm. wide, appressed-ascending, membranaceous,

green, white-hispid-hirsute, many-ribbed (the lateral ribs most

prominent), substipitate, the beak 0.5 mm. long, obliquely cut and

bidentate, the orifice white ; achenes trigonous with concave sides,

2.5 X 1.5 mm., granular, closely enveloped, apiculate, jointed with

the short style which is thickened at the base.

Locally plentiful on open or chaparral-covered slopes, 2,000 to

10,000 ft, in Coahuila and San Luis Potosí; occasional in Nuevo

Leon, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, and Puebla.

94
Plate 37. CAREX SCHIEDEANA

95
37a. Carex schiedeana var. perstricta (Mack.) F. J. Herrn., comb,

nov. (260)

Ca/rex perstricta Mack., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 36: 479.1909.

Differing from the typical variety in having the leaves seldom

over 1.5 mm. wide, vesicular-roughened above rather than papillate, glaucous-green, their margins revolute, narrower spikes

(2.5-3.5 mm. wide), and oblong-obovoid perigynia only 1-1.25

mm. wide, and usually not over 2.5 mm. long, tending to be whitescabrous rather than hispid. Intermediates occur with such

frequency, however, that varietal status seems to be more realistic

than specific.

Locally plentiful on nearly barren slopes and limestone ridges,

5,000 to 8,000 ft., in San Luis Potosí; infrequent in Coahuila,

Tamaulipas, Jalisco, and Hidalgo.

96
Plate 37a. CAREX SCHIEDEANA VAR. PERSTRICTA

97
37b. Carex sehiedeana var. stellata (Mack.). F. J. Herrn., comb,

nov. (262)

Carex stellata Mack., N. Amer. Fl. 18 (4) : 226.1935.

Differing from typical C. sehiedeana in having the leaves only

3-6 to a fertile culm, their margins usually revolute, and the

perigynia white-stellate as well as short-ffispid, the beak merely

emarginate, as a rule, rather than bidentate. Mackenzie reports

the culms to be stellate-puberulent, a condition that must be

infrequent. As with var. perstricta, transitional forms are sufficiently common to make specific status impractical.

Appears to be most prevalent in Hidalgo (on mountain slopes

at 3,000 to 8,000 ft.), as var. perstricta is in San Luis Potosí and

var. sehiedeana in Coahuila. It has been collected also in Coahuila,

Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, Puebla, and Oaxaca.

98
Plate 37b. CAREX SCHIEDEANA VAR. STELLATA

99
14. § SCABRELLAE

38. CarexscabrellaWahl. (263)

Carex scabrella Wahl., Sv. Vet-Aka. Nya Handl. 24: 149. 1803.

Cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks; culms phyllopodic,

mostly filiform, becoming decumbent, brown and fibrillose at the

base; leaves with well-developed blades 5-10 to a fertile culm,

clustered near the base, their blades 20-35 mm. long, 0.5-1.5 mm.

wide, flat with revolute margins, often channeled above, thin,

roughened toward the long-attenuate apex, the sheaths tight, the

ligule very short ; spikes 3-4 to a panicle, androgynous, with 3-6

perigynia; panicles about 5, spike-like, 6-12 mm. long, 5-7 mm.

wide, the upper sessile, the middle ones on slender, roughish

peduncles, the lowest on long basal peduncles; rachis hispid;

cladoprophyllum perigynium-like ; bracts leaf-like, exceeding the

inflorescence, from little to strongly sheathing; scales acutish

to awned, scabrous, reddish-brown with several-nerved, lighter

center and hyaline margins; staminate flowers inconspicuous;

perigynia ovoid, trigonous, 3-4 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, ascending,

subcoriaceous, puncticulate, straw-colored, hispid, conspicuously

many-ribbed, the beak 1 mm. long, curved or straight, bidentate ;

achenes trigonous with concave sides and blunt angles, closely

enveloped, granular, straight- or bent-apiculate, jointed with the

short style.

A single collection seen from our area: steep, heavily wooded

slope. El Sumidero, 4,500 ft., 14 mi. north of Ixtla Gutiérrez,

Chiapas, Mexico, D. E. Breedlove 13396, Oct. 16, 1965 (MICH).

Reported from Guatemala. West Indies, Mexico, and Guatemala.

100
Plate 38. CAREX SCABRELLA

101
15. § INDICAE

39. Carex humboldtiana Steud. (264)

Carex humboldtiana Steud., Syn. Cyp. 208.1855.

C. macrosperma Mack., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 36: 477. 1909.

Cespitóse from short, thick, woody rootstocks; culms phyllopodic, 6-10 dm. high, obtusely trigonous, brownish-tinged at the

fibrillose base ; leaves with well-developed blades 7-15 to a fertile

culm, their blades 1-4 dm. long, 2.5-6 mm. wide, stiff, coriaceous,

flat with revolute margins, scabrous above, attenuate, the sheaths

tight, concave, reddish-brown-tinged, pubescent and slightly prolonged at the mouth, the ligule short; spikes 8-15 to a panicle,

androgynous, with 2-5 perigynia, 5-10 mm. long; panicles 6-10,

2.5-5 cm. long, 1.5-2 cm. wide, the lower solitary on a slender,

scabrous peduncle, the upper in pairs, the rachis hispid; bracts

awned, 2-5 mm. long; cladoprophyllum conspicuous, perigyniumlike; scales awned to obtuse, chestnut- or reddish-brown with

lighter center and hyaline margins, striate, the midvein prominent, the lower empty ; perigynia narrowly obovoid, trigonous, 4-5

mm. long, 1.25-1.5 mm. wide, ascending, membranaceous, brightgreen, brownish-tinged, lustrous, puncticulate, conspicuously twonerved, spongy at the stipitate base, the beak 1-1.5 mm. long,

obliquely cut and bidentate, roughened, often bent, the orifice

hyaline ; ackenes trigonous with concave sides and blunt angles,

closely enveloped, brownish-black, granular, stipitate, apiculate,

jointed with the short, thick style.

Frequent on dry, wooded mountain slopes, at 3,000 to 8,000 ft.

in Oaxaca; occasional in Guatemala, and single collections seen

from Puebla, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Southern Mexico to Brazil.

102
Plate 39. CAREX HUMBOLDTIANA

103
40. Carex standleyana Steyerm. (264.1)

Carex standleyana Steyerm., Ceiba 3: 23.1952.

Cespitóse ; culms stout, up to 1 m. high, smooth ; leaves with

well-developed blades numerous, glabrous or scaberulous above, up

to 50 cm. or more long, 4-8 mm. wide, their blades linear, equaling

or exceeding the culms, attenuate, the midvein prominent, the

sheaths strongly imbricate ; inflorescence loosely paniculate, longpeduncled, up to 20 cm. long, the peduncles slender, elongate,

densely scabrous to hirtellous, secondary panicles numerous, usually many-branched, pedunculate, the spikes sessile or very shortly

pedicelled ; bracts foliaceous, narrow, exceeding their spikes, longsheathing at the base; spikes loosely flowered, androgynous, 5-7

mm. long and wide, staminate flowers 1-2, the pistillate usually

5-8, somewhat divaricate ; scales broadly ovate, subacute, glabrous

or obscurely puberulent above, green or brownish, the margins

hyaline, the apex conspicuously aristate ; perigynia ovoid, obtusely

trigonous, 3.5-5 mm. long, coriaceous, many-nerved, scaberulous

especially above, substipitate, abruptly contracted into a straight

or curved bidentate, beak 1.5 mm. or more long, which is scaberulous on the margins; achenes elliptic-oblong, trigonous, 3-3.25 x

1 mm., yellowish, substipitate, apiculate.

Locally abundant on the upper forested slopes of Cerro de

Uyuca, 3,000 to 6,000 ft.. Department Morazan, Honduras, and

known from a single collection in Guatemala (Agucate, Department Jalapa).

104
Plate 40. CAREX STANDLEYANA

105
41. Carex polystachya Sw. in Wahl. (265)

Carex polystachya Sw. in Wahl., Sv. Vet.-Akad. Nya Handl. 24 :

149.1803.

C. cladostachya Wahl., Sv. Vet.-Akad. Nya Handl. 24: 149. 1803.

C. mexicana Presl, Rel. Haenk. 1: 204.1828.

C. hartwegii Boott in Benth., PI. Hartw. 96.1842.

C. acrolepis Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. V. 2: 271.1850.

C. oerstedii Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. V. 2: 272.1850.

Cespitóse from short, woody rootstocks; culms phyllopodic,

2.5-6 dm. high, obtusely trigonous, brownish- or reddish-tinged at

the fibrillose base; leaves with well-developed blades 6-15 to a

fertile culm, mostly clustered toward the base, their blades 2-6 dm.

long, 2-7 mm. wide, flat or channeled at the base, the margins

revolute, thick, stiff, rough, strongly nerved, attenuate, the sheaths

tight, slightly hyaline ventrally, concave and ciliate at the mouth,

the ligule very short ; spikes numerous in panicles, androgynous,

5-9 mm. long, 3-4 mm. wide, with 7-15 perigynia ; panicles 5-10,

decompound, 2-6 cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide, the upper in pairs, the

lower solitary on long, rough peduncles ; rachis hispid ; bracts leaflike, long-sheathing, exceeding the inflorescence ; cladoprophyllum

conspicuous, perigynium-like ; scales acuminate to awned, striate,

light reddish-brown or straw-colored, with green midrib often

reddish-tinged; perigynia trigonous, narrowly ovoid, 3-3.5 mm.

long, 0.9-1.25 mm. wide, ascending-spreading, membranaceous,

puncticulate, ñnely nerved and two-keeled, spongy at the stipitate

base, the beak straight or curved, 0.75-1 mm. long, greenish, somewhat roughened, obliquely cut and bidentate, hyaline-tipped;

achenes trigonous with concave sides and blunt angles, closely

enveloped, brownish-black, granular, stipitate, bent-apiculate,

jointed with the rather slender style.

Common in dry woodlands in the mountains. The most plentiful

Carex in Middle America. Widespread from Nayarit, Zacatecas,

and San Luis Potosí to Peru, and in the West Indies ; apparently

most abundant in Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica.

41a. Carex polystachya var. bartlettii (O'Neill) Standl. & Steyerm

(265a)

Carex polystachya var. bartlettii (O'Neill) Standl. & Steyerm.,

Ceiba 4: 68.1953.

C. bartlettii O'Neill, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Publ. 522: 255. 1940.

Differing from typical C. polystachya in having hispidulous

perigynia and generally long-awned (up to 10 mm.) scales.

Dry, rocky mountain slopes, 4,000 to 8,000 ft. British Honduras,

Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama.

106
Plate 41. CAREX POLYSTACHYA

107
42. Carex aztecîca Mack. (266)

Carex aztecica Mack,, N. Amer. Fl. 18(4) : 229.1935.

C. fuscotincta Mack., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 36: 478. 1909, not

Merino, 1904.

Cespitóse from short, thick, woody rootstocks; culms phyllopodic, 5-8 dm. high, obtusely triangular, reddish-brown-tinged at

the fibrillose base; leaves with well-developed blades 7-15 to a

fertile culm, their blades 1.5-3 dm. long, 2.5-5 mm. wide, thick,

flat with revolute margins, scabrous above, attenuate, the sheaths

tight, the ligule short; spikes 6-12 to a panicle, androgynous, with

5-12 perigynia, 4-7 mm. long, 3.5-6 mm. wide; panicles 6-10,

15-45 mm. long, 10-20 mm. wide, the lowest on a slender, scabrous

peduncle about 8 cm. long, the upper in pairs; rachis hispid ; bracts

sheathing, those of the spikes scale-like, occasionally 3-15 mm.

long; cladoprophyllum conspicuous, perigynium-like; scales obtuse

to acute or the lower awned, dark-reddish-brown, striate, with

hyaline margins and conspicuous midvein, the lower empty;

staminate flowers few; perigynia narrowly obovoid, trigonous,

3-3.5 mm. long, 1.25 mm. wide, ascending, green, puncticulate,

dark-reddish-brown-tinged, few-nerved, the lateral nerves conspicuous, spongy at the substipitate base, the beak less than 1 mm.

long, obliquely cleft and shallowly bidentate, reddish-browntinged, the oriñce hyaline ; achenes trigonous with concave sides

and blunt angles, 1.5-2 x 1 mm., granular, closely enveloped,

short-apiculate, jointed with the short, thickish style.

Infrequent on wooded mountain slopes, 3,000 to 10,000 ft.;

Michroacán, State of Mexico, Morelos, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas,

and Guatemala (Department Chimaltenango).

108
Plate 42. CAREX AZTECICA

109
43. CarexhultenüAsplund (266.1)

Carex hultenü Asplund, Sv. Bot. Tidsk. 48(1) : 94 (ill.)., 1954.

Rootstock short, thick and woody; culms stout, 9 dm. high,

triquetrous, with concave, striate faces, the angles moderatelysharp, surrounded at the base by dried leaves, their sheaths nonfibrillose ; basal leaves about equaling the culms, about 15 cm. wide,

long-attenuate at the apex, chartaceous-coriaceous, lightly plicate

along the nerves, scaberulous; cauline leaves 2, similar to the

basal, long-sheathing, equaling or somewhat exceeding the culm ;

inflorescence decompound, 45 cm. long, interrupted at the base;

lower bracts similar to the leaves, the Lowest 5 exceeding the culm,

the upper reduced ; secondary panicles ovate-pyramidal, single at

the lowest node and apex, otherwise paired at the nodes, the uppermost congested and not easily distinguishable; peduncles stiffly

erect, subappressed to the culm, the lowest 9 cm. long, the upper

reduced, the uppermost panicles sessile ; rachises ciliate-scabrous

on the angles, those of the ultimate branches also hispidulous on

the face; spikes numerous, androgynous, 4-7 mm. long, sessile,

spreading, the staminate portion shorter or sometimes about

equaling the pistillate ; bracts ovate-orbicular to orbicular, chestnut-streaked or dotted, hispidulous, 1.5-2 mm. long, the midvein

prolonged into an excurrent ciliate-hispid awn up to 9 mm. long;

cladoprophyllum perigynium-like, hispidulous or glabrescent;

scales spreading to divaricate, ovate, cymbiform, subobtuse or

somewhat acutish, long-mucronate (the muero 0.5-0.75 mm. long),

many-nerved, densely chestnut-striate or punctate, the lower especially hispidulous on the midvein, the upper often glabrescent;

perigynia broadly ovoid or subglobose, more or less oblique, turgid,

straw-colored, lustrous, the body 2-2.5 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide,

with a few very short, aculeiform hairs on the margins toward the

apex, otherwise glabrous, the marginal nerves prominent above,

somewhat impressed below, otherwise very faintly nerved or the

nerves obsolete, almost estipitate at the gibbous base, abruptly

beaked, the beak compressed, more or less oblique, about 1 mm.

long, narrowly margined, minutely spinulose-serrate, bidentate,

oblique at the orifice, the teeth 0.3 mm. long on the adaxial face ;

achenes trigonous, 1.75-2 x 1 mm., the sides shallowly concave or

nearly flat, crowned with the thickened base of the scarcely deciduous style.

Known only from the type collection : at the Great Falls of the

river Necaxa, in the Huachinango region, 3,000 ft.. Puebla, Mexico,

H, Fröderström&E. Hultén 757, Feb. 10,1932 (S).

110
Plate 43. CAREX HULTENII

111
44. Carexmadrensîs Bailey (267)

Carex madrensis Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 25: 270.1898.

C. polystachya var. madrensis (Bailey) Kükenth. in Engler,

Pflanzenr. 4 (20) : 267.1909.

Cespitóse from woody, matted rootstocks ; culms obtusely triquetrous, phyllopodic, 2.5-6 dm. high, brownish-tinged at the

fibrillose base ; leaves with well-developed blades 5-10 to a fertile

culm, their blades 1-2.5 dm. long, 2.5-4 mm. wide, stiff, coriaceous,

flat with revolute margins, roughened toward the attenuate apex,

the sheaths tight, brownish-tinged ventrally, truncate and pubescent at the mouth, the ligule short ; spikes 3-6 to a panicle, androgynous, with 5-15 pergynia, 7-15 mm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, the

bracts awn-pointed; panicles 1-3, 1.5-3 cm. long, 7-15 mm. wide,

the lower on slender, scabrous peduncles, the bracts sheathing, the

rachis hispid ; cladoprophyllum conspicuous, perigynium-like ;

scales obtuse to acute or the lower cuspidate, chestnut-brown with

greenish center and hyaline margins, striate, the midvein prominent ; staminate flowers inconspicuous ; perigynia ovoid, trigonous,

4 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide, appressed, membranaceous, green to

olive-green, puncticulate, spongy at the stipitate base, the beak 1

mm. long, bidentulate ; achenes trigonous with concave sides and

blunt angles, closely enveloped, apiculate, jointed with the short,

thickish style.

Infrequent on dry wooded or rocky mountain slopes, 4,000 to

6,500 ft.; Jalisco, Michoacan, Hidalgo, Morelos, and Guerrero

(reported also from Durango), Mexico.

112
Plate 44. CAREX MADRENSIS

113
16. § BICOLORES

45. Carexhassei Bailey (271)

Carex hdssei Bailey, Bot Gaz. 21: 5.1896.

C. áurea var. celsa Bailey, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 1: 75.1889.

C, garberi var. bifaria Fern., Rhodora 37: 255.1935.

Loosely cespitóse from long, very slender rootstocks; culms

slender, erect, phyllopodic, 0.5-7 dm. high, exceeding the leaves,

light-brownish-tinged at the base ; leaves 5-7 to a culm, clustered

near the base, 2-4 mm. wide, flat above, channeled near the base,

the ligule about as wide as long; terminal spike staminate or

gynaecandrous, short-peduncled, 6-20 mm. long, the staminate

part 2-3 mm. wide; pistillate spikes 3-5, approximate or the

lower separate and sometimes nearly basal, the upper short-peduncled or sessile, the lower long-peduncled, the spikes linear-oblong,

7-25 mm. long, 3.5-4.5 mm. wide, with 10-30 appressed-ascending

perigynia, lower bracts leaflet-like, much exceeding the inflorescence, the upper smaller; scales ovate-suborbicular, obtuse to

acuminate, appressed, usually somewhat shorter and narrower

than the perigynia, reddish-brown with broad, lighter, threenerved center and whitish-hyaline margins and apex; perigynia

elliptic-obovoid, flattened-suborbicular, 2.5-3 mm. long, 1.5 mm.

wide, rather obscurely ribbed, minutely granular, whitish puberulent, not fleshy nor translucent, rounded and beakless or nearly so

at the apex, the orifice entire; achenes lenticular, 1.5 x 1.25 mm.,

brownish.

Known south of the U. S. border from a single collection : moist,

sandy soil at edge of meadow, La Grulla, Sierra San Pedro Martin,

7000 ft, Baja California, Mexico, /. L. Wiggins 9803, May 8, 1941

(GH; MICH; US). Mackenzie and Yukon, southward to Colorado,

Utah, Arizona, and Baja California.

114
Plate 45. CAREX HASSEI

115
17. § LAXIFLORAE

46. Carex laxiflora Lam. var. serrulata F. J. Herrn. (296a)

Carex laxiflora var. serrulata F. J. Herrn., Rhodora 40: 80. 1938.

Densely cespitóse from very short rootstoeks ; culms 1.5-4 dm.

high, lateral, phyllopodic, narrowly winged, white-striolate, flattened on drying, brownish at the base; sterile shoots long; leaves

with well-developed blades 1-3 to a fertile culm, their blades 7-30

cm. long, 4-7 mm. wide, the sheaths long, enlarged upward,

minutely serrate, thin ventrally, the ligule longer than wide;

terminal spike staminate, 1-2.5 cm. long, 1.25-3 mm. wide; lateral

spikes 1-4, pistillate, with 5-18 perigynia, 7-45 mm. long, 3-4 mm.

wide, the lower long-peduncled ; bracts sheathing, the lower leaflike, the sheaths serrulate, prolonged; scales broadly ovate to

oblong-ovate, mostly abruptly acute or truncate and rough-awned

or cuspidate, white-hyaline with three-nerved, green center ; perigynia obovoid, obtusely trigonous 3.5-4.25 mm. long, 1.2-1.5 mm.

wide, appressed-ascending, membranaceous, light-green, puncticulate, finely nerved, spongy at the stipitate base, gradually narrowed

into an oblique beak 0.5 mm. long, the orifice white-hyaline, entire;

achenes trigonous with concave sides and blunt angles, 1.75 x 1.5

mm., closely enveloped, yellowish-brown, granular, substipitate,

apiculate, jointed with the short, often bent style.

In our area known only from steep, moist slopes, 6,000 to 7,500

ft.. Municipio of Teneja, Chiapas, Mexico. Massachusetts westward to Michigan and southward to Florida and southern Mexico.

116
Plate 46. CAREX LAXIFLORA VAR. SERRULATA

117
18. § GRANULARES

47. Carex atractades F. J. Herrn. (303.1)

Carex atractodes F. J. Herrn., Jour. Wash. Acad. Sei. 40(9) : 283.

1950.

More or less cespitóse from moderately stout, dark-brown,

creeping rootstocks; culms 1.5-4 dm. high, phyllopodic, slender,

flexuous, little exceeding the leaves, bluntly triquetrous, smooth

or minutely scabridulous between the veins ; leaves 2-4 to a fertile

culm, mostly on the lower third of the culm, the blades flat, erect,

5-25 cm. long, 2-6 mm. wide, linear, scaberulous toward the apex,

the sheaths loose, hyaline and early ruptured ventrally, the ligule

prolonged, acuminate, many times longer than wide; staminate

spike linear, erect, subsessile and often concealed between the two

uppermost pistillate spikes or short-peduncled (peduncle up to 3

mm. long), 6-12 mm. long, 1.2-2 mm. wide, the scales oblong,

bluntly acute to minutely cuspidate, 3.5 mm. long, appressedascending, pale-reddish-brown with a broad light-green, more or

less carinate midrib, usually scabridulous toward the apex ; pistillate spikes 3 or 4, erect, the lowermost widely separate on a longexserted, capillary peduncle, the upper short-peduncled or sessile,

linear-oblong, 5-14 mm. long, 3-5 mm. wide, closely 10-25-

flowered, the perigynia ascending; bracts large and leaflike, generally exceeding the inflorescence, the blade of the lowermost 4-12

cm. long, the sheaths long (to 24 mm.) somewhat prolonged at the

mouth and the ligule conspicuous ; scales elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, 2 mm. long and about half the length of the perigynia, thin,

hyaline and tinged with reddish-brown except for the stout, green,

carinate midrib; perigynia fusiform, 3-3.3 mm. long, 1.5 mm.

wide, sessile, prominently many-nerved, coriaceous, closely investing the achene, dark-green, shading to chestnut-brown at the base,

resinous-puncticulate, tapering into a short, straight, entire beak ;

achenes trigonous, broadly obovoid, 1.8 x 1.1 mm., brown, granular, tapering to the short-stipitate base, abruptly rounded at the

apex, conspicuously straight-apiculate, jointed with the short,

slender style.

Apparently restricted to Mexico; grassy slopes, pastures, and

roadside ditches from 5,000 to 12,000 ft., Federal District (one

collection) and Chiapas (four collections).

118
Plate 47. CAREX ATRACTODES

119
48. Carex quichensis F. J. Herrn. (303.2)

Carex quickensis F. J. Herrn., Jour. Wash. Acad. Sei. 40(9) : 284.

1950.

Densely cespitóse from slender, pale-brown rootstocks; culms

1.8-4 dm. high, erect, over-topped by the leaves, smooth, bluntly

triquetrous; sterile shoots conspicuously developed; leaves 3-5 to

a fertile culm, the blades flat, linear, erect, 9-20 cm. long, 3.5-6

mm. wide, scaberulous on the margins toward the apex, the lower

sheaths loose, hyaline and soon breaking ventrally, the ligule not

conspicuously prolonged, blunt, as long or twice as long as wide ;

terminal spike staminate, linear, erect, 14-25 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm.

wide, borne on a peduncle 3-5 mm. long, the scales elliptic oblong,

4 mm. long, appressed, hyaline, tinged with reddish-brown, the

broad dark-green, often somewhat carinate, midrib smooth and

extended as a muero ; lateral spikes 3 or 4, erect, pistillate or often

androgynous, the lowermost widely separate on a capillary peduncle, the upper short-peduncled, linear, 20-30 mm. long, 3.5-5

mm. wide at maturity, 15-30-flowered, the perigynia appressedascending; bracts leaf-like, overtopping the inflorescence, the blade

of the lowermost 15-20 cm. long, the sheaths, except the uppermost, very long (to 45 mm.), prolonged at the mouth and with a

prominent ligule; scales broadly elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, 3

mm. long, nearly equaling the perigynia, thin and hyaline, the

margins streaked with dark-red, the midrib stout, green, generally

more or less carinate, extending to or prolonged slightly beyond the

tip ; perigynia broadly ellipsoid to narrowly obovoid, 3.2 mm. long,

] .3-1.5 mm. wide, sessile, conspicuously many-nerved, subcoriaceous, little inflated, olive-green, tapering at the base, abruptly

contracted above into a short (0.35 mm.), stout, straight, subentire

beak conspicuously thickened at the mouth; achenes trigonous,

narrowly obovoid, 2x1 mm., stramineous, granular, tapering to

the stipitate base, rounded at the apex, bent-apiculate and jointed

with the slender style.

Known only from the type collection : edge of brook above Nebaj,

El Quiche, 7,000 ft, Guatemala, A. /. Sharp 451U, Feb. 7, 1945

(NA;TENN).

120
Plate 48. CAREX QUICHENSIS

121
19. § LONGICAULES

49. Carex anisostachys Liebm. (317)

Carex anisostachys Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 266.

C. chlorocarpos Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 265.

1850, not Wimm., 1850.

C. olivácea Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 267. 1850, not

Boott, 1846.

C. Uebmannii Walp., Ann. 3: 705. 1852. (Based on C. chlorocarpos

Liebm.).

C. montícola Bock., Bot. Jahrb. 1: 364. 1881. (Based on C olivácea

Liebm.). Not C, monticola Dewey, 1861.

C. androgyna Bailey, Proc. Am. Acad. 22: 101. 1886. (Based on C.

olivácea Liebm.). Not C, androgyna Ballis, 1792.

C. oaxacana Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 25: 271. 1898. (Based on C. olivácea

Liebm.).

C. felipensis C. B. Clarke, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8: 84.1908.

Cespitóse from stout, matted, often short-creeping, woody rootstocks; cnlms aphyllopodic, 1.5-9 dm. high, slightly hairy, reddishtinged at the base, the basal sheaths becoming filamentose ; leaves

with well-developed blades 5-10 to a fertile culm, their blades 5-15

cm. long, 1-3 mm. wide, stiff, flat with revolute margins, glabrate

or minutely pubescent, rough at the attenuate apex, the sheaths

tight, scabrous, reddish-brown-spotted ventrally, concave and prolonged at the mouth, the ligule short; spikes 3-5, the terminal

androgynous, staminate, or pistillate in the center, the lateral

pistillate, with 10-25 perigynia, 7-15 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, in a

head 3-6 cm. long; lower bract sheathless or nearly so, 2-4 cm.

long, shorter than to much exceeding the inflorescence, the others

shorter or absent; pistillate scales rather obtuse to acuminate,

greenish-hyaline, with three-nerved green center, reddish-browntinged; perigynia oval-obovoid, trigonous, somewhat flattened,

2.5-4 mm. long, 1.25 mm. wide, ascending, membranaceous, green,

puncticulate, slenderly few-nerved, substipitate, abruptly contracted into a short-cylindric, whitish-tipped, obliquely cut,

emarginate or shallowly bidentate beak 0.5 mm. long; achenes

sharply trigonous, oblong-ovoid with concave sides, 1.5 x 2.5 mm.

long, brownish, puncticulate, apiculate, jointed with the short

style.

Frequent on wooded mountains and slopes, 3,000 to 12,000 ft. ;

Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Federal District, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and

and Guatemala.

122
Plate 49. CAREX ANISOSTACHYS

123
50. CarexguatemalensisF.J. Herrn. (317.1)

Carex gvxvtemalensis F. J. Herrn., Brittonia 23 (2) : 145.1971.

Cespitóse from short- to long-creeping, woody rootstocks ; culms

phyllopodic, 10-35 cm. high, much exceeding the leaves, more or

less pilose and ciliate on the angles above; leaves with well-developed blades 5-8 to a fertile culm, clustered toward the base,

their blades flat, 4-11 cm. long, 1.5-3 mm. wide, long-attenuate and

scabrous-ciliate at the apex, the sheaths densely pilose ventrally,

the ligule wider than long ; spikes 2-5, contiguous, sessile or very

short-peduncled, the terminal usually gynaecandrous, 5-12 mm.

long, 3-6 mm. wide, the lateral pistillate, 4-9 mm. long, 2.5-3 mm.

wide, densely flowered, with 5-12 perigynia, erect-ascending ;

bracts sheathless, leaf-like, linear-subulate, much exceeding the

inflorescence, pilose at the base ; scales ovate-lanceolate, acute or

acuminate, reddish-brown with hyaline margins, sometimes more

or less pilose dorsally, three-fourths the length of the perigynia ;

perigynia elliptic-lanceolate, trigonous, 3-3.5 mm. long, 1-1.25

mm. wide, not inflated, membranaceous, pale-green becoming palebrown, often irregularly red-punctate, glabrous or with the margins and beak sparsely pilose, several-nerved, the marginal ribs

prominent, sessile, rather abruptly contracted to the substipitate

base, gradually narrowed into a straight, often ciliate beak 1-1.25

mm. long; achenes trigonous, obovoid, 2 x 0.75 mm., strawcolored, granular, abruptly contracted into a substipitate base.

Locally frequent on dry, rocky, grassy slopes, meadows, and

rocky limestone outcrops, 9,000 to 12,000 ft.. Departments of

Huehuetenango and Queyaltanango, Guatemala.

124
Plate 50. CAREX GUATEMALENSIS

125
51. Carex longicaulis Bock. (318)

Carex longicaulis Bock., Flora 65: 62.1882.

C. ciliaris Fern., Proc. Am. Acad. 43: 61. 1907.

Loosely cespitóse and short-stoloniferous, from long, stout,

matted rootstocks ; culms phyllopodic, 2.5-6 dm. high, stiff, sparingly pubescent, brownish-tinged at the base, the old leaves conspicuous ; leaves with well-developed blades 6-12 to a fertile culm,

clustered near the base, their blades 5-20 cm. long, 2.5-3.5 mm.

wide, flat with revolute margins, light-green, ciliate and sparingly

pilose below, papillose, roughened toward the attenuate apex, the

sheaths sparingly pilose dorsally, slightly yellowish-brown-tinged

ventrally, the ligule much wider than long ; terminal spike staminate, androgynous or pistillate in the middle, 12-18 mm. Ipng,

2-3 mm. wide ; lateral spikes 2-5, pistillate, with 10-25 perigynia,

6-18 mm. long, 4-6 mm. wide; lowest bract leaf-like short-sheathing, exceeding the inflorescence, the upper reduced ; scales acute

to acuminate or cuspidate, white- or whitish-hyaline, with threenerved green, straw-colored, or brownish center ; perigynia trigonous, obovoid 4 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, ascending, membranaceous,

light-green, puncticulate, obscurely nerved, tapering at the base,

rather abruptly beaked, the beak 0.5-1 mm long, flattened-subconic, obliquely cleft, bidentulate ; achenes obovoid, trigonous with

concave sides, 2.5 x 1.75 mm., closely enveloped, substipitate,

apiculate, jointed with the short style.

Frequent to locally common on dry, open slopes, and open woods,

6,000 to 11,000 ft., Jalisco, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Federal District, Tlaxcala, and Oaxaca.

126
Plate 51. CAREX LONGICAUUS

127
52. Carex coulteri Boott (319)

Carex coulteri Boott in Hemsl., Biol. Centr. Am. Bot. 3: 473.1885.

C longicaulis var. coulteri (Boott) Kükenth. in Engler, Pflanzenr.

4(20) : 580.1909.

Loosely cespitóse from stout, matted, somewhat elongate rootstocks ; culms phyllopodic, 6-8 dm. high, slender, short-pubescent,

brownish-tinged at the base, the old leaves conspicuous; leaves

with well-developed blades 5-10 to a fertile culm, clustered on the

lower half, their blades 2-3 dm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, stiff, flat with

revolute margins, densely villous beneath, sparsely pilose above,

attenuate, the sheaths villous dorsally, yellowish-brown ventrally,

concave at the mouth, the ligule short ; terminal spike staminate,

short-peduncled to subsessile, 15-25 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide;

lateral spikes about 4, the 2 upper approximate, the others more

or less separate, pistillate, with 10-25 perigynia, 8-15 mm. long,

4-6 mm. wide; lower bracts leaf-like, the upper reduced; scales

acute to mucronate, sparsely pilose, hyaline with three-nerved,

greenish or yellowish center ; perigynia obovoid, sharply trigonous,

3.5 mm. long, 1.75 mm. wide, ascending, membranaceous, lightgreen, short-pilose, three-nerved on each face, the beak flattenedsubconic, 0.75 mm. long, bidentate, the teeth hyaline; achenes

trigonous with concave sides, 2.25 x 1.5 mm., closely enveloped,

apiculate, jointed with the short style.

Frequent in open woods and on scrubby mountain slopes, 7,000

to 9,000 ft., in central Mexico ; Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Federal

District, and Veracruz.

128
Plate 52. CAREX COULTERI

129
20. § VIRIDIFLORAE

53. Carex viridiflora Mack. (322)

Carex viridiflora Mack., N. Amer. Fl. 18(5) : 275. 1935.

C. viridis Schlecht. & Cham., Linnaea 6: 30. 1831, not Honck, 1792.

Densely cespitóse from very short rootstocks ; culms phyllopodic,

2-6 dm. high, triquetrous with concave sides, roughened above,

reddish-tinged at the base, the sterile shoots long; leaves with welldeveloped blades 6-9 to a fertile culm, widely separate, their blades

1-2.5 dm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, channeled above, keeled below, the

margins revolute, thin, sparsely hirsute, rough above, attenuate,

the sheaths hispidulous, reddish-dotted or -blotched ventrally, the

ligule longer than wide; spikes 5-8, with 15-40 perigynia, androgynous or the terminal staminate also below, 3-8 cm. long,

2.5 mm. wide, the staminate part 3-8 mm. long, the lower separate

and nodding; lowest bract long-sheathing, the upper reduced;

scales acute to cuspidate, thin, hyaline, keeled, yellowish-browntinged with green midrib ; perigynia ellipsoid, obtusely trigonous,

3.5 mm. long, 0.9 mm. wide, appressed-ascending, membranaceous,

green, two-ribbed, stipitate, the beak 0.6-0.8 mm. long, flattened,

sparsely ciliate-serrulate, obliquely cut, bidentate or bidentulate,

the apex hyaline; achenes trigonous with concave sides, 2 x 0.8

mm., closely enveloped, yellowish, substipitate, apiculate, jointed

with the style.

Rare. Moist, grassy mountain slopes in southern Mexico;

Oaxaca, and Veracruz.

130
Plate 53. CAREX VIRIDIFLORA

131
54. Carex pertenuis Bailey (323)

Carex pertenuis Bailey, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 1: 9. 1889.

"C. viridis Jungh.", Kükenth. in Engler, Pflanzenr. 4(20) : 550,

in part. 1909.

Loosely cespitóse from long, slender, stoloniferous rootstocks;

culms mostly central and phyllopodic, 2.5-8 dm. high, slender,

weak, bluntly triquetrous, reddish-tinged at the base ; sterile shoots

long ; leaves with well-developed blades 5-8 to a fertile culm, on

the lower half, the basal clustered, their blades 1-3 dm. long, 2-4

mm. wide, flat, channeled at the base, keeled below, thin, with

revolute margins, deep-green, roughened toward the attenuate

apex, the sheaths reddish-brown-tinged ventrally, the ligule as

long as wide; spikes 3-7, androgynous, with 10-30 perigynia, 2.5-

5 cm. long, 3 mm. wide, the staminate part 6-12 mm. long; lower

bract long-sheathing, the upper reduced ; scales obtuse to cuspidate

or the pistillate rough-awned, reddish-brown with lighter midrib

and minutely hyaline margins ; perigynia obtusely flattened-trigonous, 3.25 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, appressed-ascending, membranaceous, dull-green, reddish-spotted, puncticulate, two-ribbed and

finely nerved, stipitate, tapering at the apex, scarcely or very

minutely beaked, the orifice entire ; achenes trigonous with concave sides, 2 X 0.8 mm., closely enveloped, blackish, substipitate,

apiculate, jointed with the style.

Rare. Mountain slopes in southern Mexico (Veracruz) ; known

also in Guatemala from a single collection : cloud forest 4 mi. east

of San Mateo Ixtatan on road to Barillas, 8,500 ft., Cuchumatanes,

D. E, Breedlove 87Í2, Feb. 1965 (DS).

132
Plate 54. CAREX PERTENUIS

133
55. Carex perlonga Fern. (324)

Carex perlonga Fern., Proc. Amer. Acad. 43: 61. 1907.

Cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks; culms partly central

and phyllopodic, partly lateral and aphyllopodic, 5-9 dm. high,

rather stout and reddish-tinged at the base, the lower sheaths

breaking and becoming somewhat filamentose; leaves with welldeveloped blades 5-10 to a fertile culm, their blades 15-35 cm. long,

3.5-5.5 mm. wide, flat with revolute margins, thin, roughened

toward the attenuate apex, the sheaths hispidulous, yellowishbrown-tinged and red-spotted ventrally, concave and red-tinged

at the mouth, the ligule longer than wide ; spikes 6-12, androgynous, with 30-80 perigynia, 8-12 cm. long, 3-4.5 mm. wide, the

staminate part 15-30 mm. long; lower bract leaf-like, long-sheathing, the sheaths red-tinged at the mouth, the upper reduced ; scales

acute to awned, keeled, thin, dull-reddish-brown with dull-hyaline

margins and one- three-nerved, green center ; perigynia ellipsoid,

obtusely trigonous, membranaceous, green, puncticulate, tworibbed and finely nerved, stipitate, the beak 1.5 mm. long, obliquely

cut, bidentate, hyaline at the orifice; achenes trigonous, 2.5 x

0.75 mm., closely enveloped, yellowish, substipitate, apiculate,

jointed with the straight, slender style.

Known only from two collections : barranca below Trinidad Iron

Works, 5,200 ft., Hidalgo, C. G. Pringle 8863 (type), June 2, 1904

(GH; US), and hedgegrow in shade, 6,500 ft., San Miguel, Jalapa,

Veracruz, E, K, Balls Jf802, June 3,1938 (US).

134
Plate 55. CAREX PERLONGA

135
56. Carex mackenziana Weatherb. (324.1)

Carex mackenziana Weatherb., Contr. Gray Herb. No. 114: 36.

1936.

Cespitóse from short rootstocks; culms 6-10 dm. high, stout

toward the base, more slender above, smooth, much exceeding

the leaves; leaves with well-developed blades several to a fertile

culm, clustered toward the base, glabrous, their blades 10-30 cm.

long, 5-6 mm. wide, flat, long-acuminate, many-striate when dried,

the margin and primary nerves scaberulous, the sheaths loose,

chestnut-brown-tinged, a single reduced leaf, 9-15 cm. long, 3-4

mm. wide at midculm ; spikes 3-5, with 30-50 perigynia, androgynous (except for the uppermost which are staminate or bearing

a few irregularly placed pistillate flowers), linear-cylindric, 3-5

cm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, the lower widely separate, single, pendant,

the upper approximate, sometimes paired, ascending, the very

slender peduncles up to 4 cm. long ; loivest bract with a sheath 4-5

cm. long, almost closed at the herbaceous mouth, the blade narrowly linear, up to 8 cm. long, the upper similar but reduced, all

blade-bearing ; scales acute, somewhat obtuse or short-mucronate,

about equaling the perigynia, straw-colored or white-hyaline, the

midvein green, three-nerved; peHgynia ellipsoid or somewhat

obovoid, trigonous, 3.5-4 mm. long, about 1.75 mm. wide, conspicuously two-nerved, the sides nerveless or lightly-few-nerved, obscurely puncticulate, sparsely strigose-puberulent or glabrescent

v^ith ciliolate angles, rather abruptly contracted into the at length

bidentate beak 0.5-0.75 mm. long; achenes obovoid, trigonous with

concave sides, 2.5 x 1.5 mm., yellowish, smooth, rounded at the

base, broadly apiculate ; stigmas brown, slender, elongate.

Known only from the type collection: common in moist oak

wood, about Puerto Santa Ana, Ranchito de Cieneguillas, Hacienda

Pablillo, Sierra Madre Oriental, about 15 mi. southwest of Galena,

Nuevo Leon, Mexico, C. H, & M, T. Mueller 892, June 28, 1934

(GH;US).

136
y

Plate 56. CAREX MACKENZIANA

137
57. Carex venosivaginata Standl. & Steyerm. (324.2)

Carex venosivaginata Standl. & Steyerm., Ceiba 4: 67. 1953.

Loosely cespitóse from short rootstocks ; cvlms 2.5-6 dm. high,

thick below the middle but slender at the red-tinged base, erect,

triquetrous, smooth, the lower sheaths breaking and becoming

very slightly filamentose ; leaves with well-developed blades 5-10

to a fertile culm, septate-nodulose, the lower clustered at the base,

their blades erect, 1-1.5 dm. long, 2.5-4.5 mm. wide, firm-membranaceous to subcoriaceous, flat with slightly revolute, scabrous

margins, the sheaths glabrous; spikes 4-6, mostly androgynous,

widely separate, paired or single, elongate-linear, 1.5-4 cm. long,

3.5-4 mm. wide, closely flowered above, loosely so at the base, the

upper fourth or flfth staminate ; lower bract leaf-like, long-sheathing, shorter than the inflorescence, the upper much reduced ; scales

broadly ovate to suborbicular-ovate, 2.6-3 mm. long, about 2 mm.

wide, membranaceous, subcucullate, carínate, abruptly acuminate ;

perigynia narrowly oblong-ellipsoid, obtusely trigonous, 2.6-3.1

mm. long, 0.8-1.1 mm. wide, glabrous, puncticulate, conspicuously

three- four-nerved on each face, tapering to the somewhat rounded,

substipitate base and into the smooth, short, obliquely cut, at

length bidentulate beak, 0.8-1 mm. long; achenes elliptic-oblong,

trigonous, 2x1 mm., rufous-brown, filling four-fifths of the

perigynium-body, apiculate, jointed with the slender style.

Known only from the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, 7,500 to

11,000 ft., Dept. of Huehuetenango, western Guatemala: in cloud

forest, Cerro Huitz, between Mimanhuiz and Yulhuiz, /. A. Steyermark Í855Í, July 14, 1942 (type; F), and on high bluffs in upper

reaches of barranco, above San Juan Ixcoy, /. A. Steyermark

50062, Aug. 4,1942 (F).

138
Plate 57. CAREX VENOSIVAGENATA

139
58. Carex huehuetica Standl. & Steyerm. (324.3)

Carex huehuetica Standl. & Steyerm., Field Mus. Publ. Bot. 23:

195.1947.

Densely cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks ; culms slender,

erect, 6 dm. high or more, obtusely triquetrous, smooth, reddishbrown below the nodes ; leaves with well-developed blades numerous, their blades 12-27 cm. long, 5-15 mm. wide, narrowly attenuate, prominently nerved, inconspicuously septate, flat, the margins

smooth, the sheaths broad and loose, dark-reddish-brown; spikes

few to many, on very long, slender peduncles, apparently pendulous, the terminal staminate, the lateral pistillate or in part androgynous, linear, mostly 3-4.5 cm. long, loosely and rather

remotely flowered ; bracts short, filiform, erect, long-sheathing, the

sheaths up to 1 cm. long, reddish-brown ; scales oblong-oval, about

2.5 mm. long, pale-brownish or brownish-green, abruptly contracted at the apex and terminated by an awn up to 5 mm. long ;

perigynia lanceolate-fusiform, compressed-trigonous, 3.5 mm. long,

1 mm. wide, greenish, glabrous, conspicuously several-nerved,

gradually narrowed into a very short, emarginate beak.

Known only from the type (over-ripe) collection: along stream

of Canana, Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, about 8,200 ft., /. A.

Steyermark Jf9055, July 18, 1942 (F).

140
Plate 58. CAREX HUEHUETICA

141
59. Carex steyermarkii Standl. (324.4)

Carex steyermarkii Standl., Field Mus. Publ. Bot. 23: 196. 1947.

Apparently cespitóse ; culms erect, rather stout, 5-10 dm. high,

smooth, striate ; leaves numerous, large and wide, clustered toward

the base, their blades up to 40 cm. long, 16-24 mm. wide, flat

rather thick, almost glossy above, paler beneath, the midrib conspicuous, the margins smooth, subulate-acuminate, dilated and

sheathing, deep-brownish-red at the base, the sheath extremely

thin and fragile ventrally, early disintegrating; spikes numerous,

androgynous, forming a rather large, loose inflorescence, on long,

slender, pendulous peduncles, elongate-linear, up to 6 cm. long,

loosely flowered, the lowermost flowers often remote ; scales lanceolate-oblong, acute, inconspicuously mucronate or blunt, paledirty-brown or pale-greenish-brown ; perigynia obtusely trigonous,

lanceolate-fusiform, 3.5-4.5 mm. long, 1-1.25 mm. wide, paledirty-brown, glossy, conspicuously nerved, smooth, gradually narrowed into a short, thick, erect, emarginate, beak ; achenes trigonous, 2.5 X 1.25 mm., brown, apiculate.

Known from two collections : Cerro Huitz, between Barillas and

Mimanhuitz, Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, 5,000 to 8,500 ft., Dept.

of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, /. A, Steyermark Í85Í2, July 14,

1942 (type F), and slope with Querem and Abies in Colonia

Ach'lum 8,600 ft., Mun. de Tenajapa, Chiapas, Mexico, A. S, Ton

868, Apr. 26, 1966 (US; DS).

142
Cu

/^f^

f\

Plate 59. CAREX STEYERMARKH

143
60. Carex caxinensis F. J. Herrn. (324.5)

Carex caxinensis F. J. Herrn., Brittonia 23 (2) : 146. 1971.

Cespitóse from apparently short-creeping rootstocks ; culms phyllopodic, bluntly triquetrous, up to 6 dm. high, much exceeding the

leaves, the lower sheaths red-tinged; leaves 2-3 on the fertile

culms with 2-5 at their base, their blades linear, attenuate, 15-30

cm. long, 3-4 mm. wide, flat or with the margins slightly recurved,

strongly coriaceous, with scabrous-serrulate margins and smooth,

reddish sheaths ; spikes 5-7, androgynous, on long, filiform, cernuous peduncles, the lower remote and few-flowered, the upper contiguous and dense-flowered, linear-cylindric, 2.5-4.5 cm. long, 4-6

mm. wide, with 20-50 ascending perigynia; lowest bract leafy,

shorter than the inflorescence, long-sheathing, the sheath red ventrally; scales elliptic-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, appressed, acuminate or short-awned, wider than the perigynia and for the most

part concealing them, more or less keeled, membranaceous, red

with a conspicuous straw-colored midrib ; perigynia fusiform, 3-4

mm. long, 1-1.5 mm. wide, obtusely trigonous, glabrous, palegreen or purplish-red especially toward the base, two-ribbed and

strongly about 10-nerved, abruptly contracted at the base into a

stipe 0.5-0.75 mm. long, contracted above into a short, thick,

praemorse beak with a minutely serrulate orifice ; achenes obovoid,

trigonous, 2x1 mm., substipitate, not constricted in the middle.

Known only from a single collection : on Caxin bluff, summit

of Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, 12,000 ft., Dept. of Huehuetenango,

Guatemala, /. A. Steyermark 50175, Aug. 6, 1942 (distributed as

C. tojquianen^is Standl. & Steyerm.) (F — holotype).

144
Beak orifice

Plate 60. CAREX CAXINENSIS

145
21. § SYLVATICAE

61. Carex conspecta Mack. (346)

Carex compecta Mack., N. Am. Fl. 18(5) : 294. 1935.

Cespitóse from short, stout, rootstocks ; culms phyllopodic, 6-12

dm. high, 4-6 mm. wide at the dull-reddish-brown-tinged base,

nodding, the lower sheaths fíisímentose; leaves with well-developed

blades 5-8 to a fertile culm, clustered on the lower fourth, their

blades 2-4 dm. long, 3-6 mm. wide, channeled above, flat below,

thick, many-nerved, roughened toward the attenuate apex, the

margins revolute, the sheaths roughened dorsally between the

nerves, thin-hyaline and cinnamon-brown-dotted ventrally, the

ligule longer than wide ; terminal spike staminate, 4 cm. long, 3.5

mm. wide ; lateral spikes 6, the upper two staminate, the lower

four androgynous, 2-3 cm. long, 5 mm. wide, with 20-50 perigynia,

dropping on slender peduncles ; lowest bract leaf-like, long-sheathing, the upper reduced ; scales ovate, wider but somewhat shorter

than the perigynia, reddish-brown with lighter midvein and whitish-hyaline, erose margins, emarginate, mucronate; perigynia

compressed-trigonous, 2.25 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, ascending or

spreading, membranaceous, straw-colored, red-dotted, puncticulate, two-ribbed and finely many-nerved, substipitate, rather

abruptly contracted into a bidentate beak 0.5 mm. long; achenes

trigonous with concave sides. 1.5 x 0.8 mm., closely enveloped,

brownish, subapiculate, jointed with the style .

Mexico : between the haciendas Santa Barbara and Cristo sur

TAlseseca, 7,000 ft., vicinity of Puebla, State of Puebla, Bro, G,

Arsène 1359, Aug. 1, 1907 (US—type) ; Desierto de los Leones,

Federal District, E. Lyonnet 2132 & 2590, July and Sept 1938

(US).

146
Plate 61. CAREX CONSPECTA

147
22. § LONGIROSTRES

62. Carex tunimanensîs Standl. & Steyerm. (349.1)

Carex tunimanensis Standl. & Steyerm., Ceiba 4: 65. 1953.

Cespitóse from stout, tough, very strongly fibrillose, creeping

rootstocks; culms 0.9-5 dm. high, phyllopodic, erect, moderately

slender, bluntly triquetrous, smooth, exceeding the leaves, not redtinged at the base; leaves 4-6 to a fertile culm, mostly clustered

at the base of the culms, weakly septate-nodulose toward the base,

their blades flat, erect, 5-40 cm. long, 2.5-5.5 mm. wide, very longattenuate, glabrous, the margins and midrib beneath serrulate

above the middle, the sheaths short, hyaline ventrally becoming

brown toward the minutely ciliate mouth, conspicuously striate

at the base, the ligule wider than long, inverted (concave rather

than convex) ; spikes 4-15, the lower generally solitary, the upper

in clusters of 3-4, the terminal 1-4 androgynous with few pistillate flowers or staminate, erect, short-peduncled to subsessile, the

lateral pistillate, oblong, 1.5-6 cm. long, 4-8 mm. wide, tapering

at apex and base, drooping on long (4-9 cm.), filiform peduncles,

rather densely flowered, the perigynia 50-75, ascending; bracts

long-sheathing, foliaceous, the blades linear, attenuate, shorter

than the inflorescence, the upper half scabrous on the margins and

midrib beneath, the upper bracts reduced ; pistillate scales ovatelanceolate, acute to short-cuspidate, pale-brown with broad, hyaline margins, somewhat keeled, wider than and nearly as long as

the perigynia; perigynia fusiform, flattened-trigonous, 4.5-5.5

mm. long, 1-1.5 mm. wide, not inflated, glabrous, pale-green, ventrally nerveless but with prominent marginal ribs, lightly threefive-nerved dorsally, gradually tapering into a smooth, terete,

hyaline beak one-third to one-half the length of the body, 1-1.5

mm. long, brownish at the base, especially dorsally, the whitehyaline orifice obliquely cut and bidentulate; achenes flattenedtrigonous, broadly ellipsoid, 2 x 1.25 mm., stramineous, tapering

to the stipitate base, apiculate, jointed with the style.

Evidently rare and local. Known from three collections : steep

slope with Quercus and Magnolia at the Paeaje Matsab, 9,000 ft.

Municipio of Tenejapa, Chiapas, Mexico, A. S. Ton 9^1, May 12,

1966 (DS; MICH) ; alpine areas in vicinity of Tunima, Sierra de

los Cuchumatanes, 11,000 to 11,500 ft., Huehuetenango, Guatemala, /. A. Steyermark 48283, July 6, 1952 (F) and, long rivulet,

alpine meadows just northwest of Chancol, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, J, A, Steyermark Í8251, July 6,1952 (F).

148
Plate 62. CAREX TUNIMANENSIS

149
23. § EXTENSAE

63. Carex distentiformis F. J. Herrn. (359.1)

Carex distentiformis F. J. Herrn., Brittonia 23(2) : 146. 1971.

Rhizome short, thick, woody; culms phyllopodic, 8-10 dm. high,

bluntly triquetrous, exceeding the leaves ; leaves with well-developed blades 7-13 to a fertile culm, clustered (except for 2-4 on

the culm) at the base, long-sheathing, their blades coriaceous, flat,

becoming strongly revolute when dry, 4-5.5 mm. wide, long-attenuate and scaberulous at the apex, the sheaths thin-membranaceous

ventrally, the ligule wider than long; inflorescence nearly paniculate, 5.5-10 cm. long, except for the widely separate lowermost

spike (often compound) ; spikes 4-7, cylindric, 0.6-5 cm. long,

6-8 mm. wide, densely-flowered, the terminal staminate (rarely

perfect), the lateral pistillate (sometimes staminate at the apex),

ascending, sessile or more or less pedunculate; bracts leaf-like,

much exceeding the inflorescence, long-sheathing; scales persistent, ovate-lanceolate, acute or abruptly acuminate, 3-3.5 mm. long,

slightly shorter than the perigynia, wide-spreading at maturity

of perigynia, red-streaked, three-nerved, the midnerve excurrent

as a short, ciliate-hispidulous awn ; perigynia horizontally spreading, unequally ovoid, plano-convex or gibbous, turgid, reddishbrown, spotted with dark-red, many-nerved, 3.25-4 mm. long,

1.3-1.8 mm. wide, contracted into a bidentate beak 1 mm. long;

achenes trigonous, elliptic-obovoid, 2-2.5 x 1.25-1.5 mm., punctate, brownish.

Known only from two collections from the Municipio of Amatenango del Valle, Chiapas, Mexico : slope with Quercus along creek

near center of Amatenango, alt. 5,900 ft., D. E, Breedlove 12152

Aug. 23, 1965 (DS; F; IPN; USFS), and, large, moist pasture at

Amatenango del Valle, 5,800 ft., D, E, Breedlove H589, July 27

1966 (type, US: isotype, DS).

150
Plate 63. CAREX DISTENTIFORMIS

151
24. 5 VIRESCENTES

64. Carex boliviensis Van Juerck & Müll.-Arg. (375)

Ca7^ex boliviensis Van Juerck & Müll.-Arg. in Van Juerck, Obs.

Myc. 32.1870.

C. galbana Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 25: 271. 1898.

Cespitóse from elongate, woody rootstocks; culms phyllopodic,

5-45 cm. high, sharply triquetrous, rough on the angles, very

slender and becoming decumbent, brownish and fibrillose at the

base, the old leaves conspicuous ; leaves with well-developed blades

5-10 to a fertile culm, clustered near the base, their blades 2.5-

10 cm. long, 1.5-3 mm. wide, stiff, flat or channeled, glaucousgreen, pubescent at the base, especially on the margins, the apex

slender with revolute margins, the sheaths yellowish-brown-tinged

and reddish-brown-spotted, truncate at the mouth, the ligule very

short; spikes 2-3, the terminal gynaecandrous, 8-16 mm. long,

4-5 mm. wide, the lateral pistillate, shorter, with 10-25 perigynia ;

bi^acts sheathless, the lowest scale-like, long-awned, shorter than

the inflorescence, an empty, leaf-like bract sometimes 1 cm. or

less below the spikes ; scales obtuse to acutish or mucronate, reddish-brown with hyaline margins and lighter three-nerved center ;

perigynia elliptic-ovoid, flattened-trigonous, 3 mm. long, 1.75 mm.

wide, erect-ascending, subcoriaceous, light olive-green, puncticulate, granular, strongly ribbed dorsally, lightly nerved ventrally,

beakless, the apex minutely emarginate; achenes trigonous with

concave sides, 2 x 1.25 mm., yellowish-brown, granular, stipitate,

apiculate, jointed with the short, rather thick style.

Occasional on grassy slopes and in alpine meadows at 8,000 to

13,000 ft.; seen from Durango, Puebla, and Guerrero, Mexico.

Mexico to Argentina.

152
Plate 64. CAREX BOUVIENSIS

153
65. Carex complánala Torr. & Hook. (376)

Carex complanata Torr. & Hook, in Torr., Ann. Lye N Y 3-408

1836.

C, triceps Michx., Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 170. 1803, not Schrank, 1789.

Cespitóse; culms 2-6 dm. high, aphyllopodic, triquetrous with

concave sides, slender, stiff and erect, red at the base; leaves with

well-developed blades 4-6 to a culm, clustered toward the base, the

blades 1-3 dm. long, 1.5-3 mm. wide, rather thick and stiff, flat

but the margins revolute, glabrate, attenuate, the sheaths long,

tight, sparingly hairy, concave and short-pilose at the mouth, the

hgule wider than long; spikes 2-5, the terminal gynaecandrous,

the lateral pistillate, 15-30-flowered, 6-15 mm. long, 5-7 mm.

wide; lowest bract leaf-like, much exceeding the inflorescence, not

sheathing; pistillate scales obtuse to acuminate or awned, strawcolored and reddish-brown-tinged with green center and 'hyaline

margins; perigynia flattened-trigonous, 2-2.5 mm. long, 1.2-1.6

mm. wide, appresed or ascending, submembranaceous, granularroughened and asperulous, olive-green, nerved dorsally and on the

margins, beakless, the orifice emarginate ; achenes trigonous with

concave sides and prominent rounded angles, 1.75 x 1.25 mm.,

stipitate, bent-apiculate, jointed with the rather short and thick

style.

In our area known only from Chiapas, Mexico, where it is occasional on oak-pine slopes at 5,000 to 9,500 ft.

154
Plate 65. CAREX COMPLANATA

155
25. § FECUNDAE

66. Carex tuberculata Liebm. (389)

Carex tuberculata Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 270. 1850.

Cespitóse from long, stout rootstocks ; culms stout, stiff, 6-9 dm.

high, phyllopodic, triquetrous with concave sides, rather rough

above, cinnamon-brown-tinged at the base; leaves on the lower

third of the culm, the blades 2.5-5 dm. long, 4-8 mm. wide, channeled above, keeled below, with revolute margins and prominent

midrib, coriaceous, sparingly septate-nodulose, glaucous-green,

roughened toward the attenuate apex, the sheaths thin ventrally

and yellowish-brown-tinged and red-dotted, concave at the mouth,

sparingly filamentose, the ligule nearly as long as wide; spikes

7-16, androgynous, 3-6 cm. long, 4-5 mm. wide, in pairs or threes

on slender, drooping, roughened peduncles, 25-75-flowered ; lowest

bract leaf-like, the upper reduced ; pistillate scales obtuse to acutish

or cuspidate, reddish-brown with white-hyaline margins and paler

center; perigynia obtusely trigonous, 2-2.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm.

wide, spreading-ascending, inflated, membranaceous, pale-green,

dotted with red, resinous glands, two-keeled, the beak 0.5 mm.

long, bidentate with hyaline orifice; achenes 1.5-2 x 1.25-1.5 mm.,

trigonous with prominent angles and the sides convex above, constricted in the middle, granular, resinous, bent-short-apiculate,

jointed with the style.

Rare ; known only from two collections from Mexico : Chinantla,

7,000 ft.. Puebla, Liebman 568 (CP), and Montes de San Rafael,

State of Mexico, E. Lijonnet 72h, Oct. 1930 (GH).

156
Plate 66. CAREX TUBERCULATA

157
66a. Carex tuberculata var. ehrenbergiana (Bock.) Kükenth.

(390)

Carex ehrenbergiana Bock., Linnaea 4: 175.1877.

C. tuberculata var. ehrenbergiana (Bock.) Kükenth. in Engler,

Pflanzenreich 4(20) : 408. 1909.

Differs from Carex tuberculata in having the lower sheaths

usually red-tinged instead of cinnamon-brown, the upper spikes

staminate or nearly so instead of androgynous, the perigynia more

broadly obovoid and only obscurely resinous, the beak only shallowly bidentate, the achenes broader (obovoid rather than oblongobovoid), and spikes up to 10, instead of only 6, cm. long. These

distinctions are not always correlated, and none of them is

constant.

Infrequent along banks of streams and in damp woods in the

mountains at 9,500 to 11,500 ft. ; State of Mexico, Federal District,

and Hidalgo.

158
Plate 66a. CAREX TUBERCULATA VAR. EHRENBERGIANA

159
67. Carex psilocarpa Steud. (391)

Carex psilocarpa Steud., Syn. Cyp. 195. 1855.

C. macúlala Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2. 1850, not Boott,

1846.

C. consors C. B. Clarke, Kew Bull. Add. Ser. 8: 76. 1908.

Rootstocks stout, horizontal; culms 5-9 dm. high, stout, stiff,

triquetrous with concave sides, phyllopodic. Burgundy-red at the

base; leaves with well-developed blades 8-15 to a fertile culm, the

blades 3-6 dm. long, 6-10 mm. wide, keeled below with revolute

margins and prominent midrib, coriaceous, sparingly septatenodulose, glaucous, roughened toward the attenuate apex, the

sheaths thin, yellowish-brown-tinged and red-dotted ventrally,

concave at the mouth, the ligule nearly as long as wide; spikes

8-12, androgynous, 25-75-flowered, 2-12 cm. long, 4-6 mm. wide,

flexuous or drooping on slender, rough peduncles in pairs ; lower

bracts leaf-like, red-tinged at the base, the upper reduced; pistiU

late scales obtuse to acute or cuspidate, reddish-brown with hyaline

margins and lighter three-nerved center ; perigynia obtusely trigonous, inflated, 3.5-4 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, ascending or spreading, membranaceous, greenish-straw-colored, reddish-dotted, twokeeled and finely nerved, substipitate, the beak 0.5 mm. long,

minutely notched and ciliate at the apex, dark-tinged; achenes

trigonous with rounded angles and sides convex above, 2 x 1.25

mm., constricted in the middle, brownish-black, bent-apiculate,

jointed with the curving style.

Occasional in damp woods, swamps or on stream banks in the

mountains at 5,000 to 11,000 ft. ; Mexico (Veracruz, Hidalgo, State

of Mexico, Federal District, and Oaxaca), Honduras and Salvador.

The illustration for this species by Creutzburg in Mackenzie's

North American Cariceae was drawn by error from a specimen of

C. tuberculata var. ehrenbergiana (C. G. Pringle il39).

160
Plate 67. CAREX PSILOCARPA

161
68. Carex ballsîi Nelmes (391.1)

Carex ballsii Nelmes, Kew Bull. 134. 1940.

Cespitóse from stout rootstocks ; cubns stout, erect, about 12 dm.

high, triquetrous with concave sides, scabrous above, surrounded

at the base with leafless sheaths; leaves near the base, equaling

the culms, 7-10 mm. wide, stiff, coriaceous, keeled, glaucous-green,

the margins revolute and scabrous-serrulate, as is the midrib beneath, the sheaths thin-membranaceous, reddish-brown, at length

fibrillose; spikes about 20, paired except for the upper 2 or 3,

androgynous (staminate portion short), cylindrical, generally

3.5-8 cm. long, 5-8 mm. wide, densely flowered, often pendant,

the lower subapproximate, equally long-peduncled, sometimes

short-branched at the base, the upper approximate, unequally

peduncled, the peduncles scabridulous ; lower bracts foliaceous,

exceeding the inflorescence, very short-sheathing, the upper

smaller or scale-like ; pistillate scales ovate-elliptic, dark-chestnut,

weakly keeled, the apex usually muticous, the lowermost rarely

awned, the midrib generally not reaching the apex ; perigynia from

slightly shorter than the scales (possibly due to the immaturity

of the holotype) to slightly exceeding them, 3.5 mm. long, subinflated-trigonous above, compressed-trigonous below, oblongelliptic, glabrous, minutely papillose or granular above, especially

at the base of the beak, membranaceous, slightly oblique, at length

somewhat spreading, nerveless, strongly stipitate, rather abruptly

contracted into a short, very shallowly bidentulate beak obliquely

cut at the orifice ; achene oblong or oblong-obovoid, constricted in

the middle, oblique.

Known only from the type collection: Loma-Grande, 9,700 ft.,

Mt. Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico, Balls & Gourlay Bi371, Apr 27

1938 (K).

162
Plate 68. CAREX BALLSO

163
69. Carex chordalís Liebm. (392)

Carex chordalis Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 269. 1850.

C. jamesonii var. gracilis Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 13: 88. 1888.

C. jamesonii var. chordalis (Liebm.) Kükenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4(20) : 409. 1909.

Cespitóse; culms stout, stiff, erect, 6-12 dm. high, sharply triquetrous with concave sides, roughened above, phyllopodic, cinnamon-brown-tinged at the base ; leaves with well-developed blades

6-10 to a fertile culm, near the base, the blades 3-6 dm. long,

5-10 mm. wide, keeled and channeled below, flat above with revolute margins, coriaceous, sparingly septate-nodulose, glaucousgreen, roughened toward the attenuate apex, the sheaths thin,

yellowish-brown-tinged and red-dotted ventrally, the ligule longer

than wide ; spikes 15-25, androgynous, 50-200-flowered, 5-15 cm.

long, 5-7 mm. wide, the lower in twos, threes or fours, erect or

drooping on long, slender, rough peduncles, the inflorescence 2-4

dm. long; lower bracts leaf-like, the upper reduced; pistillate scales

rough-awned, dark-reddish-tinged with hyaline margins and threenerved, green center ; perigynia lanceolate, compressed-trigonous,

3-5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, spreading-ascending, oblique, excurved,

membranaceous, two-keeled, slenderly nerved, light- or yellowishgreen, round-tapering at the base, substipitate, tapering into a

smooth, hyaline-tipped, bidentate beak 1 mm. long, the teeth hispidulous within ; achenes oblong-ellipsoid, trigonous with the sides

convex above, closely enveloped, yellowish-brown, substipitate,

apiculate, jointed with the flexuous style.

Frequent to locally common on wooded mountain slopes and in

moist ravines, at 3,500 to 10,000 ft., from central Mexico (Jalisco,

Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Federal District, Veracruz, Guerrero,

Oaxaca, and Chiapas) to Guatemala and Costa Rica. Also in

Colombia.

164
Plate 69. CAREX CHORDAUS

165
70. Carex chiapensis F. J. Herrn. (392.1)

Carex chiapensis F. J. Herrn., Brittonia 19: 68. 1967.

Perennial ; culms 8-9 dm. high, phyllopodic, acutely triangular;

much exceeding the leaves; leaves 11-14 to a fertile culm, mostly

distichously clustered at the base of the culms, the sheaths short,

glabrous (1-3 cm. long) and early ruptured, the ligule wider than

long, the blades flat, stiff, dull-green, 2-3.5 dm. long, 5-7.5 mm.

wide, scabridulous on the upper surface ; cauline leaves 2-3 ; inflorescence 15-20 cm. long, except for one or two widely disjunct

spikes in the lowermost bracts; spikes 7-9, androgynous (the

apical one-eighth to one-half staminate), linear-cylindric, flexuous,

ascending or drooping, 5-8 cm. long, 4-7 mm. wide, with 30-110

ascending-spreading perigynia, on unequal, long (0.5-7 cm.),

capillary, more or less scabrous peduncles ; bracts leaf-like, about

equaling the inflorescence (the lowermost with a blade 25-30 cm.

long), the sheaths prolonged (up to 8 cm.) ; scales oblong-lanceolate, obtuse (rarely acuminate) at the hyaline apex, 3.5-6 mm.

long, little shorter than the perigynia, dull-purplish-red, the center

reddish-brown ; perigynia fusiform, trigonous, rather sharp-edged,

not inflated, 4.5-6 mm. long, 1-1.25 mm. wide, straight or slightly

excurved, membranaceous to subcoriaceous, glabrous, olive-green

below shading to purplish-red above, slenderly nerved, tapering

at the base, gradually tapering into a smooth, hyaline-tipped,

obliquely cut and weakly bidentulate beak, 1.25-2 mm. long (onehalf the length of the body or more) ; achenes trigonous, narrowly

elliptic-obovoid, 2.75 x 1 mm., pale-brown, minutely papillose.

Known only from the type collection : steep slopes on S.E. side

of Zontehuitz near summit, 9,400 ft., municipio of San Cristóbal

las Casas ("Chamula"), Chiapas, Mexico, July 30, 1964, D. E.

Breedlove 671U (US; DS; F; Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones

Forestales, México, D.F.).

166
Plate 70. CAREX CHIAPENSIS

167
71. Carex cortesa Liebm. (393)

Carex cortesii Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2: 268. 1850.

Cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks; citlms 6-12 dm. high,

stout, triquetrous with concave sides, phyllopodic, dull-reddishbrown-tinged at the base, the basal sheaths filamentose; leaves

with well-developed blades 7-15 to a fertile culm, the blades 3-6

dm. long, 3-6 mm. wide, stiff, flat above with revolute margins,

keeled and channeled toward the base, sparingly septate-nodulose,

coriaceous, glaucous-green, roughened toward the attenuate apex,

the sheaths thin-hyaline and yellowish-brown-tinged and reddotted ventrally, the ligule longer than wide; spikes 15-25, androgynous, 2.5-7 cm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, 30-100-ñowered, drooping on long, slender, rough peduncles, the lower in pairs, forming

an inflorescence 1-2 dm. long; lower bracts leaf-like, the upper

reduced ; scales rough-awned or cuspidate, dark-red with hyaline

margins and three-nerved, greenish center; perigynia oblanceolate, compressed-trigonous, oblique, excurved, membranaceous,

two-ribbed, light- or yellowish-green, red-dotted, substipitate,

tapering into a smooth, hyaline-tipped, bidentate beak 1 mm. long,

the short, erect teeth hispidulous within; achenes trigonous with

the sides convex above, 2 x 0.75 mm., yellowish-brown, substipitate, jointed with the flexuous style.

Occasional to frequent on wooded mountains, especially along

banks of streams at 4,000 to 12,200 ft., from central and southern

Mexico (Jalisco, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Puebla, Oaxaca, and

Chiapas) to Guatemala and Costa Rica.

168
Plate 71. CAREX CORTESU

169
72. Carex tojquianensis Standl. & Steyerm. (393.1)

Carex tojquianensis Standl. & Steyerm., Ceiba 4: 64. 1953.

Loosely cespitóse and substoloniferous, the stolons stout with

dark-blackish-brown or reddish-black scales; culms 2.5-5.5 dm.

high, 2-3 mm. thick below the middle, erect, triquetrous, glabrous,

exceeding the leaves, the lower and basal sheaths not filamentose;

leaves with well-developed blades 7-10 to a fertile culm, coriaceous,

stiff, strongly keeled beneath and channeled above, somewhat revolute, 1-2.5 dm. long, 2.5-4 mm. wide, glabrous, long-attenuate, the

sheaths dark-blackish-brown or reddish-brown at the base, striate ;

spikes 3-4, androgynous, usually single, spreading or drooping on

unequal, elongated, slender, smooth peduncles mostly longer than

the spikes, the spikes linear-oblong, 2-3.5 cm. long, 4-6 mm. wide,

closely and densely flowered, the upper one-fourth or one-ñfth

staminate, the inflorescence 5-12 cm. long; ftracfs leaf-like shortsheathing (the sheath averaging 3 mm. long), 7-11 cm. long, 1-1.5

mm. wide; scales oblong-lanceoTate, obtuse to subacute, darkbrownish-red with prominently nerved pale-green center and very

narrow hyaline margins, about the same width or slightly narrower than and about equaling the length or slightly exceeding

theperigynia, 3-3.25 (-5) mm. long, 1.25-1.5 mm. wide; perigynia

elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, compressed-trigonous, not inflated, 3-3.5 mm. long, 1.25-1.5 mm. wide, appressed-ascending,

stramineous or greenish-buff throughout or the lower half reddishbrown-dotted, two-keeled, several-nerved on one or more sides at

maturity (sometimes toward the base only), otherwise nerveless,

narrowed at the substipitate base, glabrous or minutely hispidulous on the margins above, tapering into the oblique, subentire

beak, 0.3-0.6 mm. long; achenes elliptic-oblong, trigonous, 2.25-

2.5 X 1.25 mm., nearly filling the perigyium-body, apiculate,

jointed with the slender style.

Known only from the summit of Sierra de los Cuchumatanes,

12,140 ft., between Tojquia and Caxin bluff, Dept. of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, M. Roe 6^8, July 30, 1965 (F). (Steyermark

50175, cited as this species in the original description, is C. caxinensis F. J. Herm., of Section Viridiflorae).

170
Plate 72. CAREX TOJQUIANENSIS

171
73. Carex melanosperma Liebm. (394)

Carex melanosperma Liebm., Danske Vid. Selsk. Skr V 2: 269

1850.

C. jamesonii war. melanosperma (Liebm). Kükenth. in Engler,

Pflanzenreich 4(20) : 409. 1909.

Cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks; culms 6-12 dm. high,

stout, phyllopodic, triquetrous with concave sides, reddish-browntinged at the base, the lower sheaths filamentose; leaves with welldeveloped blades 7-15 to a fertile culm, 3-6 dm. long, 4-8 mm.

wide, flat above, keeled and channeled toward the base, stiff, coriaceous, sparingly septate-nodulose, glaucous-green, roughened

toward the attenuate apex, the margins revolute, the sheaths thinhyaline and yellowish-brown-tinged and red-dotted ventrally, the

ligule longer than wide; spikes 15-25, androgynous, 2.5-7 cm.

long, 4-6 mm. wide, 30-100-flowered, drooping on slender, rough

peduncles, the lower in twos, threes or fours, the inflorescence

1-2 dm. long; lower bracts leaf-like, the upper reduced; scales

rough-awned or cuspidate, reddish-brown with hyaline margins

and three-nerved, greenish center ; perigynia trigonous, ellipticovoid, somewhat flattened, oblique, excurved, membranaceous,

dull- or yellowish-green, red-dotted, two-ribbed, strongly nerved,

the bidentate beak 0.5 mm. long, hyaline-tipped; achenes trigonous

with the sides convex above, 1.75 x 1 mm., closely enveloped, reddish-black, lustrous, puncticulate, substipitate, short-apiculate,

jointed with the slender style.

Rare or infrequent along brooks and edges of wet forests, at

8,000 to 10,000 ft., in Puebla and Morelos, Mexico, and the Sierra

Madre Mts., Dept. of Solóla, Guatemala.

172
Plate 73. CAREX MELANOSPERMA

173
74. Carex donnell-smithii Bailey (395)

Carex donnelUsmithii Bailey, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 1: 56. 1889.

C. pittierii Bock., Allg. Bot. Zeits. 2:190.1896.

C. jovis C. B. Clarke, Contr. U. S. NatLHerb. 10: 470.1908.

Cespitóse ; culms 3-10 dm. high, stout, triquetrous with concave

sides, roughened above, phyllopodic, dark-red-tinged at the base,

the lower sheaths filamentose; leaves with well-developed blades

7-15 to a fertile culm, the blades 3-6 dm. long, 3-10 mm. wide, flat

with revolute margins, keeled and channeled toward the base, stiff,

coriaceous, glaucous-green, roughened toward the attenuate apex,

the sheaths thin, hyaline and red-dotted ventrally, the ligule longer

than wide; spikes numerous, androgynous, 3-12 cm. long, 3.5-5

mm. wide, 20-50-flowered, in a compound inflorescence 2-6 dm.

long, the lower branches in twos, threes or fours, drooping on

rough, ñliform peduncles; lowe7^ bracts leaf-like, the upper reduced ; scales dark-reddish-black with hyaline upper margins and

apex and one- three-nerved lighter center, the awn short (or

absent), smooth or weakly hispid; perigynia lanceolate, compressed-trigonous, 3.5-4.5 mm. long, oblique, often bent in the

middle, membranaceous, dull-green and often reddish-black-tinged,

puncticulate, two-ribbed, smooth to faintly nerved, short-stipitate,

the beak 1-1.5 mm. long, weakly recurved or merely oblique, roughish, reddish-black-tinged, strongly bidentate, not, or only very

shallowly, obliquely cut, the teeth rather stiff, scabrous within;

achenes 2-2.5 x 1-1.25 mm., trigonous with the sides convex

above, not constricted in the middle, closely enveloped, darkreddish-black, lustrous, substipitate, apiculate, jointed with the

flexuous style.

Rare in central Mexico (Michoacan), frequent to common in

Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica on mountain slopes

at 5,500 to 13,000 ft.

174
Plate 74. CAREX DONNELL-SMITHO

175
75. Carex jamesonii Boott (395.1)

Carex jamesonii Boott, Proc. Linn. Soc. 1: 258. 1845.

Cespitóse; culms stout, 6-12 dm. high, triquetrous, the sides

concave, the sharp angles scabrous, leafy below; leaves equaling

the culms, the blades 6-10 mm. wide, flat with revolute margins,

prominently two-nerved, keeled, glaucous, coriaceous, the sheaths

thin-membranaceous, cinnamon-colored or brownish-red and filamentosa at the base, the lowermost leafless and keeled ; spikes numerous (20-30), androgynous, the upper one-fourth to one-third

staminate, cylindrical, densely flowered, 3-5 cm. long, simple or

the lower ones few-branched and pendulous, the upper subsessile,

approximate, the intermediate 2-4 times branched, unequally longpeduncled, the lowermost generally separate, single and very longpeduncled, the peduncles scabrous; lowest bract short-sheathing,

equaling the inflorescence, the intermediate foliaceous, sheathless,

the upper setaceous ; scales lanceolate, almost equaling the perigynia, brown or dark-red with narrow hyaline margins and threenerved, straw-colored center, tipped with a long, strongly hispid

awn; perigynia compressed-trigonous, 2.8-3(4) mm. long, lanceolate or oval, at length somewhat spreading or excurved, membranaceous, olivaceous, glabrous or somewhat scabrous toward the

apex, lustrous, at length dark-red-tinged, conspicuously severalnerved, stipitate, rather abruptly tapering into the dark-reddish,

usually rather shallowly bidentate beak, which is obliquely cut

dorsally and usually abruptly excurved almost at a right angle ;

achenes trigonous, oblong, 1.25-2 x 0.75-1 mm., constricted in the

middle.

Common to very common on steep, moist, often densely wooded

slopes at 3,300 to 12,000 ft., in Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras,

Costa Rica, and Panama. Also in northern South America.

The constricted achenes and other characteristics separating

this species from C. donnelUsmithii were overlooked by Mackenzie,

who supposed C, jamesonii to be restricted to South America ; consequently many of the collections referred by him to C. donnellsmithii are actually C. jamesonii.

176
Plate 75. CAREX JAMESONH

177
76. Carex lemanniana Boott (396)

Carex lemanniana Boott, Trans. Linn. Soc. 20: 121. 1846.

C. lemanniana var. simplex Kükenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich

4(20) : 405.1909.

Cespitóse and stoloniferous from stout, woody rootstocks, the

stolons ascending; culms 2.5-6 dm. high, stiff, triquetrous with

concave sides, roughened above, phyllopodic, dull-brownish at the

base ; leaves with well-developed blades 7-15 to a fertile culm, the

blades 1-4 dm. long, 2.5-8 mm. wide, channeled above, keeled below, with revolute margins, coriaceous, roughened toward the

attenuate apex, the sheaths thin, yellowish-brown-tinged and reddotted ventrally, concave at the mouth, the ligule wider than long ;

spikes 4-20, androgynous, 20-40-flowered, 2-8 cm. long, 3.5-5 mm.

wide, the lower often compound, drooping on slender peduncles,

forming an inflorescence 1-2.5 dm. long; lower bracts leaf-like, the

upper reduced; scales rough-awned to cuspidate, dark-reddishblack with hyaline upper margins and apex and one- three-nerved

lighter center; perigynia oblong-obovate, plano-convex 2.5 mm.

long, 1 mm. wide, ascending, membranaceous, straw-colored and

reddish-spotted or -streaked, puncticulate, striate ventrally, nerved

dorsally, two-ribbed, hispid-serrulate above, stipitate, the beak

0.5 mm. long, bidentate, reddish-tinged above, the orifice hyaline,

the teeth scabrous within; achenes 1.75 x 0.85 mm., lenticular,

closely enveloped, brown, dull, short-spiculate, jointed with the

short style; stigmas 2,

Common in montane meadows (where it often forms dense tussocks) at 8,000 to 13,000 ft., in Costa Rica and Panama. Also in

Colombia and Ecuador.

178
Plate 76. CAREX LEMANNIANA

179
26. § ATRATAE

77. Carex bella Bailey (429)

Carex bella Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 17: 152. 1892.

C. atrata var. discolor Bailey, Jour. Bot. 26: 321. 1888.

Cespitóse from short-creeping, fibrillose rootstocks ; culms very

slender, 5-9 dm. high, much exceeding the leaves, phyllopodic,

cinnamon-brown and more or less strongly red-tinged at the base,

the dried leaves of the previous year conspicuous ; leaves usually

8-12 to a culm, scattered on the lower half, erect, flat, 3-6 mm.

wide, long-attenuate, the sheaths ventrally dull-reddish-browntinged or dotted, the ligule as wide as long; spikes 3 or 4, the

lower more or less drooping on slender, roughish peduncles 1.5-

4 cm. long, the upper spikes erect, short-peduncled or subsessile,

the uppermost contiguous, the others more or less strongly separate, gynaecandrous, the terminal spike half staminate, the lateral

with only a few staminate flowers, linear to oblong-linear, 12-25

mm. long, 4-5.5 mm. wide, closely 15-30-flowered, the perigynia

appressed, the terminal spike slightly wider; loivest bract short

(2.5 mm. long), leaflike, sheathing, exceeding the head; upper

bracts much reduced ; pistillate scales ovate, obtuse to acute, darkreddish-brown with lighter midrib usually conspicuous to the tip

and shining white-hyaline margins, nearly as wide as, but shorter

than, the mature perigynia ; perigynia strongly flattened but swollen by the ripening achene, broadly oval to oblong-oval, 3-4 mm.

long, 1.75-2 mm. wide, nerveless (except for the two marginal

ribs) or lightly two- to three-nerved, whitish-green, little or not

at all red-tinged, membranaceous, smooth, puncticulate, rounded

at the base, substipitate, rounded at the apex and abruptly beaked,

the beak 0.3 mm. long, apiculate, shallowly bidentate; achenes

obovoid or oblong-obovoid, 2-2.25 x 1.75 mm., trigonous, yellowish-brown, granular, substipitate, strongly apiculate.

Known in our area from a single collection from Mexico : moist

meadow openings in pine forest near peak of Cerro Potosí, 11,900

ft.. Municipio de Galeana, Nuevo Leon, R. A. Schneider 960,

July 27, 1938 (F; GH; MICH). South Dakota and Colorado to

Utah, southward to New Mexico, Arizona, and Nuevo Leon.

180
Plate 77. CAREX BELLA

181
27. § ACUTAE

78. Carex emoryi Dewey (464)

Carex emoryi Dewey in Torr., Bot. Mex. Bound. Surv. 230. 1859.

C virginiana var. elongata Bock., Linnaea 40: 432. 1876.

C stricta var. emoryi Bailey, Proc. Am. Acad. 22: 85.1886.

C. stricta var. elongata (Bock.) Gleason, Phytologia 4: 22. 1952.

Loosely cespitóse, with long scaly, rather stout, horizontal

rhizomes; culms 4-10 dm. high, erect, stout (about 6-8 mm. thick

at the base), but slender above, exceeding the leaves, strongly

aphyllopodic, reddish-tinged at the base ; leaves 3 or 4 to a culm,

somewhat nodulose, papillate, 3-5 mm. wide, flat with slightly

revolute margins, long-attenuate, the lower sheaths strongly

septate-nodulose, not becoming filamentose, the ligule much wider

than long; terminal spikes staminate, strongly peduncled, linear,

2-4.5 cm. long, 4 mm. wide ; lateral spikes 4-6, the upper one or

two staminate, the lower pistillate or androgynous, erect, sessile

or the lower short-peduncled, linear, 2-10 cm. long, 4-6 mm.

wide, densely 50-200-flowered, the perigynia appressed-ascending ;

lowest bract leaflike, more or less equaling the culm, sheathless,

the upper much reduced ; scales lanceolate, from obtuse to acuminate, narrower than the perigynia (scarcely 1 mm wide) and

from slightly shorter to much exceeding them, light-brown to

reddish-brown with a broad lighter three-nerved center ; perigynia

unequally biconvex, 2.25-2.75 mm. long, 1.5-1.75 mm. wide,

broadly ovate to obvate, light-green to straw-colored, puncticulate

and somewhat red-dotted, two-ribbed (the marginal), nerveless

or nearly so ventrally, few-nerved dorsally, rounded at the nearly

sessile base, abruptly apiculate-beaked (the beak 0.2 mm. long),

the minutely emarginate or entire orifice whitish ; achenes lenticular, oblong-quadrate, 1.5 x 1 mm., abruptly minutely apiculate.

Known in our area from a single collection from Mexico:

Muzguiz, eastern Coahuila, £7. G. March 1081, Dec. 5, 1936 (distributed as C. stricta Lam.) (F; GH). In swampy meadows or

springy places, or on wet banks or in ditches, from New Jersey to

Virginia, westward to central Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, and

Coahuila.

182
Plate 78. CAREX EMORYI

183
79. Carex endlîchii Kükenth. (470)

Carex endlichü Kükenth., Repert. Sp. Nov. 8: 291. 1910.

Loosely cespitóse, with stout, scaly, brownish, horizontal and

ascending stolons; culms slender (4-5 mm. thick at the base), 4-6

dm. high, with concave sides, papillose, rough above, aphyllopodic,

reddish-brown-tinged at the base, the basal sheaths keeled, filamentose; sterile shoots long, less strongly aphyllopodic; leaves

with well-developed blades 3-5 to a fertile culm, on the lower third,

the blades 1-3 dm. long, 2.5-3.5 mm. wide, stiff, rather thick,

channeled above, obscurely septate-nodulose, light- or glaucousgreen, rough on the revolute margins and toward the attenuate

apex, the sheaths white-hyaline and often red-dotted ventrally,

concave at the mouth, the ligule as long as wide ; terminal spike

staminate, 25-35 mm. long, 3-4.5 mm. wide; lateral spikes 2-3,

pistillate, 30-100-flowered, 1.5-3 cm. long, 4-5 mm. wide; bracts

sheathless, the lowest leaf-like, reddish-black-tinged and biauriculate at the base, the upper reduced ; scales obtuse, reddish-black

with one- three-nerved lighter center and hyaline apex ; perigynia

obovate-orbicular, plano-convex, 2.5 mm. long, 1.75 mm. wide,

membranaceous, yellowish-green or straw-colored, resinous, puncticulate, granular, two-ribbed, few-nerved, short-stipitate, the beak

0.5 mm. long, bidentulate, dark-tipped; achenes lenticular, 1.75 x

1.25 mm., closely enveloped, dark-brown, granular, minutely apiculate, jointed with the short style.

Occasional in swampy habitats at 7,000 to 13,000 ft., in Chihuahua, Michoacan, State of Mexico, and Guatemala.

184
Plate 79. CAREX ENDLICHII

185
80. Carex eurycarpa Holm (471)

Carex eurycarpa Holm, Am. Jour. Sei. IV. 20: 303. 1905.

C. oxycarpa Holm, Am. Jour. Sei. IV. 20: 303. 1905.

C. eurycarpa var. oxycarpa (Holm) Kükenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreieh4(20): 339.1909.

Loosely eespitose from short-ereeping rootstoeks, the rhizomes

stout, scaly; culms 4-9 dm. high, 4-5 mm. thiek at the base,

slender, exceeding the leaves, strongly reddish-tinged at the base,

aphyllopodic ; leaves 3 or 4 to a culm, somewhat aggregated on

the lower fourth, flat with revolute margins papillate, 2-3 mm.

wide, the sheaths hispidulous dorsally, the lower breaking and

becoming filamentose, the ligule as wide as long; terminal spike

staminate, linear, peduncled, 3-4 cm. long, 5 mm. wide; lateral

spikes 4 or 5, the upper 1 or 2 small, staminate, the lower 2-4

pistillate or androgynous, more or less strongly separate, sessile

or short-peduncled, erect, 2.5-4.5 cm. long, 5 mm. wide, densely

50-150-flowered, the perigynia appressed-ascending ; lowest bract

leaflike, exceeding the inflorescence, sheathless, the upper bracts

reduced ; scales lanceolate, acute or cuspidate, reddish-black with

whitish midrib, narrower than the perigynia ; perigynia unequally

biconvex, obovate to suborbicular-obovate, 3 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm.

wide, two-ribbed (the marginal) and finely 3-7-striate on both

surfaces, brownish, puncticulate, granular-roughened, resinousdotted, the margins sharp-nerved, often with a few stiff, deciduous cilia, rounded at the substipitate base, rounded and abruptly

apiculate at the apex, the beak 0.2-0.5 mm. long, entire or slightly

emarginate; achenes lenticular, obovate, 1.5 x 1.25 mm., brownish,

substipitate, apiculate.

In our area known from a single collection : La Grulla Creek

Canyon, II/2 mi. below the flats, 6,700 ft., Sierra San Pedro Martin,

Baja California, /. L. Wiggins 9061, Sept. 21, 1938 (US) (distributed as C, senta Boott). Washington to Baja California, eatward to Idaho and western Montana.

186
Plate 80. CAREX EURYCARPA

187
28. § HISPIDAE

81. Carexspîssa Bailey (482)

Carex spissa Bailey, Proc. Am. Acad. 22: 70.1886.

Loosely cespitóse from very stout, elongate rootstocks; culms

stiff, very tall and stout, 1-2 m. high, 2 cm. thick at the base,

phyllopodic, dark-brownish at the base, much exceeding the leaves,

very smooth on the angles ; leaves 5-10 to a culm, clustered above

the base, the blades not septate-nodulose, coriaceous, 7-15 mm.

v^ide, flat above with revolute margins, strongly keeled, strongly

serrulate on the margins, the sheaths deeply concave at the mouth,

breaking and becoming conspicuously filamentose, the ligule longer

than wide; staminate spikes 3 or 4, approximate, sessile or the

upper short-peduncled, 4-10 cm. long, 5 mm. wide ; anthers conspicuous, 4 mm. long; pistillate spikes 3-7, approximate or the

lower one or two more or less separate, erect, sessile or very shortpeduncled (the lowest occasionally longer-peduncled), linearcylindric, 6-14 cm. long, 7-10 mm. wide, staminate at the apex,

densely 150-300-flowered, the perigynia ascending to squarrosespreading; bracts leaflike, the lowest little-sheathing, exceeding the

inflorescence; scales lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, three-nerved,

tapering or rather abruptly contracted into a rough, serrulate awn,

exceeding but narrower than the perigynia, straw-colored or

brownish with a broad green or light-colored center and hyaline

margins; perigynia broadly obovoid, membranaceous, becoming

inflated, obscurely trigonous, 3-4.5 mm. long, 1.5 mm. thick, strawcolored and more or less glaucous, red-striate-dotted, smooth, obscurely few-nerved, round-tapering at the sessile base, rounded

and very abruptly short-beaked at the apex, the beak 0.5 mm. long,

often bent, the orifice emarginate; achenes trigonous, ellipticobovoid, 2-2.5 x 1 mm., dark-colored, substipitate, continuous

with the slender, very abruptly bent style.

Infrequent to rare along streams from near sea level to 7,000 ft.,

in Baja California, including the Revillagigedo Islands, and

Puebla, Mexico. Arizona (?), southern California, and Mexico.

188
Plate 81. CAREX SPISSA

189
81a. Carex spissa var. ultra (Bailey) Kükenth. (483)

Carex ultra Bailey, Proc. Am. Acad. 22: 83.1886.

C spissa var. ultra (Bailey) Kükenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich

4(20): 422. 1909.

Differs from the typical form in having the perigynia usually

appressed-ascending, rather than squarrose-spreading, little or not

at all inflated, and the style usually straight rather than abruptly

bent.

Infrequent to rare in springy places in canyons, up to 9,500 ft.,

in Sonora, Coahuila, and Puebla, Mexico. Also in southern Arizona

and New Mexico.

190
Plate 81a. CAREX SPISSA VAR. ULTRA

191
81b. Carex spissa var. seatoniana (Bailey) Kükenth. (484)

Carex seatoniana Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 25: 270.1898.

C. spissa var. seatoniana (Bailey) Kükenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 (20) : 422,1909.

Differs from the typical form in having the usually appressedascending perigynia setose-scabrous toward the apex, not or little

inflated, and the achenes narrowly oblong-obovoid. It differs from

var. ultra in its acuminate, usually long-aristate, rather than

acute to moderately short-awned scales, and in its usually abruptly

bent style. Intermediates between all three varieties are more frequent than the typical extremes.

Infrequent in springy habitats at 5,200 to 7,300 ft., in central

Mexico (Hidalgo, Puebla, Oaxaca).

192
Plate 8Ib. CAREX SPISSA VAR. SEATONIANA

193
82. Carexprîngleî Bailey (485)

Carex pringlei Bailey, Bot. Gaz. 17:151.1892.

Loosely cespitóse from long, stout rootstocks, sending forth

stout, scaly, horizontal stolons ; cvlms stiff, very stout, 1-2 m. high,

nearly 2 cm. thick at the blackish base, 5-6 mm. wide above,

phyllopodic, triquetrous with flat sides and smooth angles, much

exceeding the leaves ; leaves with well-developed blades 5-10 to a

fertile culm, the blades 4-6 dm. long, 6-12 mm. wide, coriaceous,

flat with revolute margins, carínate, glaucous, serrulate on the

margins and midrib beneath, attenuate, the sheaths dark-tinged

and concave at the mouth, filamentose, the ligule longer than wide ;

terminal spike staminate, 7-9 cm. x 6-7 mm. with a smaller one at

the base ; lateral spikes 5-7, pistillate or androgynous, 5-10 cm.

X 8-12 mm., erect, sessile or short-peduncled, containing one to

several hundred perigynia; bracts leaf-like, the lowest longsheathing and brown to blackish at the base; pistillate scales

rough-cuspidate or awned, ciliate, strongly nerved, green with

brownish hyaline margins; perigynia elliptic-lanceolate, strongly

flattened, 7-8 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide, appressed, membranaceous, greenish-straw-colored and red-dotted, hispid, scabrous

above, especially on the nerves, tapering at the apex, the beak

little differentiated, 1 mm. long, the orifice white, emarginate;

achenes 2.5 x 1 mm., trigonous, loosely enveloped, granular, longstipitate, continuous with the long style.

Endemic to Mexico. Rare on stream banks, lake borders and in

salt marshes in Coahuila and San Luis Potosí.

194
Plate 82. CAREX PRINGLEI

195
29. § PSEUDOCYPEREAE

83. CarexhystrîcinaMuhl. (493)

Carex hystricina Muhl. in Willd., Sp. PL 4: 282.1805.

Cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks, with long, very slender,

horizontal rhizomes; culms 1.5-10 dm. high, slender, exceeded by

the bracts and often by the upper leaves, sharply triangular and

often roughened above, the lateral reddish-tinged at the base, the

basal sheaths breaking and becoming more or less filamentose;

leaves 3-7 to a culm, septate-nodulose, not clustered, thin, flaccid,

flat with slightly revolute margins, 2-10 mm. wide, the sheaths

concave at the mouth, the ligule as wide as, or wider than, long ;

staminate spike solitary, slender-peduncled, usually with a conspicuous bract some distance below, linear, 1-5 cm. long, 2.5-4

mm. wide; pistillate spikes 1-4, approximate or strongly separate, the lower nodding on long, rough peduncles, the upper erect

on short peduncles, the spikes oblong or oblong-cylindric, 1-6

cm. long, 10-15 mm. wide, densely flowered, the numerous perigynia spreading ; bracts leaflike, the lowest from little to strongly

sheathing, the upper somewhat reduced ; scales with small obovate

or obanceolate bodies, ciliate-serrulate above, light-reddish-brown

with three-nerved green center excurrent as a long, rough awn,

the bodies much narrower and several times shorter than the

perigynia; perigynia narrowly ovoid, 5-7 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm.

wide, suborbicular in cross-section, inflated, membranaceous,

glabrous, shining, light-green or greenish-straw-colored at maturity, closely many-ribbed, rounded at the short-stipitate base,

tapering into a smooth, deeply bidentate, slender beak about 2

mm. long, the slender teeth erect, rigid, 0.5 mm. long; achenes

small, obovoid, 1.75 x 1 mm., trigonous, the blunt angles thickened, granular, brownish, subsessile, abruptly contracted above

and continuous with the slender stlye.

Known only from Coahuila and Veracruz (at 4,000 ft. alt.),

Mexico in our area, where it is rare in swamps and on streambanks. Quebec to Washington, southward to Virginia, Kentucky,

Texas, Mexico, and California.

196
Plate 83. CAREX HYSTRICINA

197
84. CarexthurberîDewey (494)

Carex thurberi Dewey in Torr., Bot. Mex. Bound. Surv. 232, 1859.

Cespitóse from stout rootstocks; culms 6-12 dm. high, phyllopodic, erect, stout, shorter than the leaves and bracts, sharply

triangular, reddish-tinged at the base, the lower sheaths breaking

and becoming filamentose; leaves 5-10 to a culm, obscurely septate-nodulose, the blades flat with revolute margins, thin but

rather stiff, 4-8 mm. wide, long-attenuate, very rough toward

the apex, the sheaths sparsely hispidulous dorsally, concave and

short-hispid at the mouth, the short ligule much wider than long;

terminal spike staminate, erect, short-peduncled, linear, 4-8 cm.

long, 3-5 mm. wide; pistillate spikes 3 or 4, approximate or

more or less separate, drooping or the upper weakly erect on

rough, slender peduncles mostly shorter (except the lowest) than

the spikes, the spikes oblong-cylindric or cylindric, 3.5-7 cm.

long, 8-10 mm. wide, densely 50-100-flowered, the perigynia

ascending or spreading-ascending ; bracts leaflike, sheathless or

very nearly so, much exceeding the inflorescence; scales ovate,

often emarginate, strongly rough-awned, the body large, ciliateserrulate above, hyaline and slightly reddish-brown-tinged, the

green center three-nerved, nearly as wide as but much shorter

than the perigynia; perigynia elliptic-ovoid, 4-5 mm. long, 1.5

mm. wide, slightly inflated, suborbicular to obscurely^ triangular

in cross-section, submembranaceous, puncticulate, " yellowishgreen, finely several-ribbed, rounded at the short-stipitate base,

tapering into a smooth, strongly bidentate beak 1.5 mm. long, the

slender, stiff teeth slightly spreading, 0.5-0.75 mm. long; achenes

oblong-obovoid, 1.75 x 0.75 mm., trigonous with blunt angles,

substipitate, continuous with the slender, abruptly bent, persistent

style.

Occasional in swamps and on seepy slopes in Mexico (Chihuahua, Jalisco, Veracruz and Chiapas) and Guatemala (Alta

Vera Paz and Huehuetenango), at 4,000 to 9,000 ft. Arizona to

Guatemala ; Santo Domingo.

198
Plate 84. CAREX THURBERI

199
85. Carex comosa Boott (495)

Carex comosa Boott, Trans. Linn. Soc. 20:117.1846.

Cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks; culms stout, 5-15 dm.

high, winged-triquetrous, smooth or roughened above, phyllopodic,

the old leaves persistent and conspicuous ; leaves v^ith well-developed blades 5-10 to a fertile culm, the blades 2-3 dm. x 6-16 mm.,

flat with revolute margins, firm, strongly septate-nodulose, paleor yellowish-green, roughened toward the attenuate apex, the

sheaths thin and hyaline ventrally, yellowish-tinged, concave at the

mouth, the ligule longer than wide ; terminal spike staminate, 3-7

cm. X 4-7 mm. ; lateral spikes 3-6, pistillate, 15-75 x 12-17 mm.,

the lower nodding on slender, rough peduncles, very densely flowered, containing very numerous, reflexed perigynia in many rows ;

lower bracts leaflike, little sheathing, the upper reduced ; pistillate

scales rough-awned, ciliate-serrulate, reddish-brown with threenerved greenish- or straw-colored center; pengynia lanceolate,

flattened-trigonous, 5-7 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, reflexed, coriaceous, light- or yellowish-green, glossy, puncticulate, strongly

ribbed, obliquely stipitate, tapering into a smooth, very deeply

bidentate beak 1.5-2 mm. long, the teeth stiff, recurved-spreading,

1.25-2 mm. long; acheries trigonous with blunt angles, 1.75 x 0.75

mm., brownish, granular, continuous with the persistent style.

Known in our area from a single collection : abundant on boggy

margins of Lake Atexca, below Molango, 4,600 ft., Hidalgo,

Mexico, H. E. Moore 2936, May 27,1947 (GH).

Quebec to Minnesota, southward to Florida and Texas ; locally

in Mexico and on the Pacific Coast from San Francisco to Washington, eastward to Idaho.

200
Plate 85. CAREX COMOSA

201
86. Carex polysticha Bock. (497)

Carex polysticha Bock., Viddensk. Meddel. 1869:157.1869.

C. pseudo-cijperus var. polysticha (Bock.) Kükenth., Verh. Bot.

Prov. Brand. 47: 210,1905.

Densely cespitóse from short, stout rootstocks ; culms stout, 6-12

dm. high, triquetrous with flat or concave sides, rough above,

phyllopodic, red-tinged at the base, the basal sheaths filamentose ;

leaves v^ith vi^ell-developed blades 7-15 to a fertile culm, the blades

3-6 dm. long, 8-18 mm. wide, flat above with revolute margins,

channeled toward the base, firm, strongly septate-nodulose, palegreen, roughened toward the apex, the sheaths thin and whitehyaline ventrally, concave at the mouth, the ligule longer than

wide ; terminal spike staminate, 2-3 cm. x 3-5 mm. ; lateral spikes

3-6, pistillate, 50-150-flowered, 3-4 cm. x 8-12 mm., erect,

spreading or drooping on short, rough peduncles ; bracts sheathless

or nearly so, the lower leaf-like; pistillate scales rough-awned,

ciliate-serrulate, hyaline with three-nerved green center; perigynia ovate-lanceolate, flattened-trigonous, 4.5 mm. long, 2 mm.

wide, ascending or spreading, coriaceous, olive- or brownish-green,

puncticulate, strongly ribbed, short-stipitate, tapering into a

smooth beak with body 1 mm. long, the slender teeth erect, stiff, 1

mm. long; achenes trigonous with blunt angles, closely enveloped,

brownish, granular, continuous with the persistent, twisted style.

Common and locally abundant in Guatemala, and known from a

single Mexican collection: Pringle 8138, from near Jalapa, Veracruz, Apr. 16, 1899 (F). Most collections were distributed as C.

thurherL Also known from the West Indies to Argentina.

202
Plate 86. CAREX POLYSTICHA

203
30. § SQUARROSAE

87. CarexfrankiiKunth (507)

Carex frankii Kunth, Enum. PL 2: 498.1837.

C. stenolepis Torr., Ann. Lye. N. Y. 3: 420. 1836, not Less. 1831.

Cespitóse,, with short-ascending, tough stolons ; culms 1-8 dm.

high, stiff, stout, obtusely triquetrous, aphyllopodic, reddish-tinged

at the base; sterile shoots elongate, leafy; leaves numerous, septate

nodulose, the blades 2-6 dm. x 3-10 mm., flat, ñrm, rough above

and on the margins, the sheaths tight, yellowish-brown-tinged

ventrally, truncate at the mouth, the ligule variable; terminal

spike staminate, sometimes gynaecandrous or abortive; lateral

spikes 3-7, pistillate, 1-4 cm. x 8-12 mm., 40-120-flowered, stiffpeduncled, the rachis zigzag; bracts numerous, leaf-like; pistillate

scales aristiform, green, three-nerved, setulose ; perigynia 4-5 mm.

long, 2-2.5 mm. wide, squarrose, inflated, the body strongly obconic, submembranceous, glabrous, olive-green, strongly ribbed,

the conic beak 1.5-2.5 mm. long, bidentate, the teeth stiff, 0.5 mm.

long; achenes trigonous with blunt angles, 1.5 x 1 mm., loosely

enveloped, brownish-yellow, granular, substipitate, continuous

with the persistent style.

Known in our area from a single collection : moist stream side.

Canyon de Sentenela on Hacienda Piedra Blanca, Sierra del

Carmen, Mun. de Villa Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, F. L. Wynd &

C. H. Mueller 550, July 6, 1936 (GH; US). Mexico and Texas to

Georgia, northward to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, and

Kansas.

204
Plate 87. CAREX FRANKII

205
31. § VESICARIAE

88. Carex lurîda Wahl. (526)

Carex lurida Wahl, Sv. Vet.-Akad. Nya Handl. 24: 153. 1803.

Cespitóse, from short, stout rootstocks; culms 1.5-10 dm. high,

obtusely triquetrous, aphyllopodic, red-tinged at the base, the basal

sheaths sparingly filamentose, the old leaves conspicuous; leaves

with well-developed blades 3-6 to a fertile culm, the blades 1.5-4

dm. X 2-7 mm., flat with revolute margins, firm, septate-nodulose,

the mid- and lateral-nerves prominent above, roughened toward

the attenuate apex, especially on the margins, the sheaths loose,

hyaline ventrally, yellowish-brown-tinged, concave to truncate at

the mouth, the ligule longer than wide ; terminal spike staminate ;

lateral spikes 1-4, pistillate, 1-7.5 cm. x 14-20 mm., 40-150-flowered, the lower sometimes drooping; bracts leaflike; scales roughawned, yellowish-brown with hyaline margins and three-nerved

lighter or green center; perigynia 6-9 mm. long, 2.5-3 mm. wide,

spreading, the body ovoid or obovoid-globose, strongly inflated,

membranaceous, yellowish-green or straw-colored, glossy, puncticulate, strongly about 10-nerved, rounded and nearly sessile at the

base, tapering or contracted into the smooth or roughish, slender,

beak from one-half to nearly as long as the body, usually very

unequally bidentate or obliquely cut at the mouth, the teeth slender,

stiff, erect or somewhat spreading, 0.5-1 mm. long; achenes trigonous with blunt angles and concave sides, oval-obovoid, 2-2.5 x

1.5 mm., densely granular, yellowish-brown, substipitate, loosely

enveloped in the lower half of the perigynium-body, continuous

with the persistent, twisted or very abruptly bent style.

Known in our area from only two collections, both from Mexico :

swamps near Jalapa, 4,000 ft., Veracruz, C. G. Pringle 8160,

July 17, 1899 (ENCB; F; GH; MICH; US) ; and, pine woods and

sphagnum bogs ca. 3 mi. from Zacultipán on road to Tianguistengo, 7,000 ft., H, E, Moore 3329, July 4,1947 (GH). Nova Scotia

to Minnesota, southward to Florida, Texas, and Veracruz.

206
Plate 88. CAREX LURffiA

207
ADDENDA

After the completion of this manuscript, it was discovered that

the Herbarium at the San Diego Natural History Museum contained specimens of the following six additional species from Mexico, all collected by Dr. Reid Moran in Baja Caifornia.

Carex alma Bailey (54)

This should come before Carex agrostoides Mack. (No. 8) in

Section Multiflorae. It is distinguished from that species in having

the perigynia broader, ovate or oblong-ovate, and sharp-margined

only above, instead of to the rounded-truncate (rather than roundtapering) base, and blackish at maturity instead of straw-colored.

Its previously known range was southern California, eastward

to southern Nevada and Arizona.

Occasional on streambank, valley in upper Arroyo Copal, Sierra

San Pedro Mártir, R. Moran 15^72, Aug. 25, 1968; wet crevices

in granite, E. face of San Pedro Mártir, first pass S. of Cerro

Venada Blanco, 8,700 ft., R, Moran 15680, Sept. 15, 1968; and,

common along stream in steep-walled Canyon del Diablo, NW. of

Picacho del Diablo, Sierra San Pedro Mártir, K, L. Chambers

566, June 14,1954.

Carex subfusa W. Boott (139)

This species would key out to C. subbracteata var. tolucensis

F. J. Herm. (No. 19) in Section Ovales, from which it diiïers conspicuously in its smaller perigynia (3-4 mm. long, 1-1.5 mm. wide,

instead of 4.25-4.5 mm. long, 2.25 mm. wide).

Known previously from Oregon to southern California, eastward to Arizona.

Occasional in dry sand in meadow, 7,200 ft., La Encantada, R.

Moran & R, F. Thome USUU, Aug. 19, 1967, and, occasional on

wet, sandy soil. La Concepción, 5,250 ft.. Sierra San Pedro Mártir

R, Moran 150U5, May 31,1968.

208
Carex globosa Boott (225)

A member of Section Montanae, this species would key out to

Carex geophila Mack. (No. 34). It differs principally in having the

perigynia finely many-ribbed on the outer face, as well as strongly

two-keeled, and the perigynium-beak 0.75-1.25 mm. long, instead

of 0.5-0.75 mm.

Previously known from the coastal counties of California, from

San Diego County northward to Sonoma County, and from the

Santa Barbara Islands.

Fairly common in Coulter pinewood on upper north slope of

Cerro Blanco, 3,900 ft., R. Moran 17592, May 24,1970.

Carex lanuginosa Michx. (384)

A species of Section Hirtae, a section not otherwise known from

our area. It would key out to Section Virescentes from which it

differs in its septate-nodulose leaves. The style is jointed with the

achene in Section Hirtae, but in C. lanuginosa it is almost imperceptibly so.

A very wide-ranging species previously known from New Brunswick to British Columbia, southward to Tennessee, Arkansas,

Texas, New Mexico, and southern California.

In wet meadow. La Grulla, 3,600 ft.. Sierra San Pedro Mártir,

R, Moran & R. F. Thome 1U95, Aug. 22,1967.

Carex senta Boott (461)

A member of Section Acutae, it keys out to C. eurycarpa Holm

(No. 80), from which it differs in having the ligule longer than

wide and the culms surrounded at the base by the dried leaves of

the previous year.

Previously known from California and the mountains of Arizona.

Tussocks among rocks in stream. La Joya, in Valladares Creek,

ca. 4,780 ft.. Sierra San Pedro Mártir, R. Moran 17998, July 29,

1970.

Carex rostrata Stokes (520)

A member of Section Vesicariae, keying out to Carex lurida

Wahl. (No. 88), from which it is at once distinguishable by the

pistillate scales which lack the long, rough awns of that species.

One of the most widespread sedges, previously known from

Greenland to Alaska, southward to Maryland, Indiana, South

Dakota, New Mexico, and southern California, as well as Eurasia.

Abundant in wet meadow. La Grulla, ca. 3,600 ft.. Sierra San

Pedro Mártir, R. Moran & R. F. Thome 1U96, Aug. 22, 1967.

209
BIBLIOGRAPHY

HERMANN, F. J.

1950. Three new Carices from Mexico and Guatemala. J.

Wash. Acad. Sei. 40: 282-285.

1954. Carex diehlii sp. nov. Amer. Midi. Nat. 51: 268-269.

1954. New Carex records for Mexico and Central America.

Amer. Midi. Nat. 51: 285-286.

1960. Two new varieties of Carex from Mexico. Brittonia 12 :

78-79.

1967. A new species of Carex from Chiapas, Mexico. Brittonia 19: 68-69.

1970. Manual of the Carices of the Rocky Mountains and

Colorado Basin. U.S. Dep. Agrie, Agrie. Handb. No. 374,

397, p., 162 pi.

1971. New species of Carex from Mexico and Guatemala.

Brittonia 23: 144-148.

JOHNSTON, I. M.

1944. Plants of northern Mexico, III. J. Arnold Arbor. 25 :

49-50.

KÜKENTHAL, G.

1909. Cyperaceae-Caricoideae, in Engler, Das Pflanzenreich

(4) 20. Leipzig. 824 p.

MACBRIDE, J. F.

1936. Carex in, Flora of Peru. Fieldiana: Botany 13(1):

314-320.

MACKENZIE, K. K.

1931-35. Cariceae, in North American Flora 18 (pts. 1-7) :

1-478. N. Y. Bot. Gard., New York, N. Y.

1940. North American Cariceae. 2 vols., 547 pp. (111. by H. C.

Creutzburg). N. Y. Bot. Gard., New York, N. Y.

STANDLEY, P. C.

1937. Carex in, Flora of Costa Rica. Fieldiana: Botany

18 (1) : 95-96. Field Mus. Nat. Hist, Chicago, 111.

210
and STEYERMARK, J.

1947. Carex huehuetica and C. steyermarkii, in Fieldiana:

Botany 23:195-196.

1953. Carex tojquianensis, C. tunimanensis and C. venosivaginata in, Ceiba 4: 64-68.

1958. Carex in, Flora of Guatemala. Fieldiana: Botany

24(1): 100-112. _

SVENSON, H. K.

1943. Carex in, Woodson, R. E. and Schery, R. W. : Flora of

Panama. Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 30: 321-323.

211
GLOSSARY

Achêne. A small, dry and hard, one-celled, one-seeded, indéhiscent

fruit.

Acicular, Needlelike.

Acuminate. Tapering to a gradual point.

Androgynous. Having the staminate flowers above the pistillate in

the same spike.

Anther. The pollen-bearing part of the stamen.

Aphyllopodic. The lov^er leaves bladeless or nearly so.

Apiculate. Abruptly terminated in a small point.

Aristate. Awned ; tipped v^ith a bristle.

Attenuate. Slenderly tapering or prolonged; more gradual than

acuminate.

Awn. A bristle-shaped appendage.

Beak. A firm, prolonged, slender tip.

Bi.- Latin prefix signifying two.

Bidentate. Having two teeth.

Bidentulate. Minutely bidentate.

Caducous. Falling off very early.

Canaliculate. Longitudinally channeled.

Capitate. Shaped like a head ; collected into a head or dense cluster.

Castaneous. Chestnut-colored ; dark-brown.

Cespitóse. Growing in tufts.

Chartaceous. Having the texture of writing paper.

Ciliate. Marginally fringed with hairs.

Circinate. Coiled from the tip downward.

Clávate. Club-shaped ; gradually thickened upward.

Conduplicate. Folded together lengthwise.

212
Coriaceous. Leathery in texture.

Corrugated. Wrinkled or in folds.

Culm. The type of hollow or pithy slender stem found in grasses

and sedges.

Cunéate. Wedge-shaped ; triangular, with the narrow part at the

point of attachment.

Cuspidate. Tipped with a cusp, or sharp and firm point.

Deciduous. Not persistent ; falling off.

Decompound. More than once compounded or divided.

Decurrent. Extending downward from the point of insertion.

Deflexed. Bent or turned abruptly downward.

Dioecious. Having staminate and pistillate flowers on different

plants.

Divaricate. Widely divergent.

Dorsal. Pertaining to the back, or outer surface.

Elliptic. With the form of an ellipse, nearly oblong but widest in

the center and with curving sides.

Emarginate. With a small notch at the apex.

Excurved. Curving outward or away from axis.

Fasciculate. In close bundles or clusters.

Filamentose. Composed of, or breaking up into, threads.

Filiform. Threadlike.

Flaccid. Without rigidity ; lax and weak.

Flexuous. Zigzag.

Glabrous. Not pubescent or hairy.

Glaucous. With a bluish or whitish, waxy covering.

Globose. Spherical or rounded.

Gynaecandrous. Having the pistillate flowers above the staminate

in the same spike.

Hispidulous. Minutely hispid (bristly-hairy).

Hyaline. Colorless or translucent, transparent.

Indéhiscent. Remaining persistently closed.

Indurated. Hardened.

Inflorescence. The flower-cluster of a plant.

213
Involute. With the edges rolled inward, i.e., toward the upper side.

Laciniate. Cut into narrow lobes or segments.

Lanceolate. Narrow and tapering to the apex, broadest toward the

base.

Lenticular. Lens-shaped.

Ligule. The thin, collar-shaped appendage on the inside of the leafblade at the junction with the sheath.

Linear. Long and narrow, with parallel sides.

Membranaceous. Thin, soft and pliable, like a membrane,

Moniliform. Resembling a string of beads.

Mucronate. With a short,, abrupt tip.

Ob'. Latin prefix signifying the reverse or contrariwise.

Obovate. Inversely ovate.

Obtuse. Blunt or rounded at the end.

Orbicular. Circular.

Ovate. Flat and having the outline of an egg, broadest toward the

base.

Ovoid. A three-dimensional figure, ovate in outline.

Papillose. Bearing minute nipple-shaped projections.

Perigynium. The inflated, saclike organ surrounding the ovary or

achene in Carex.

Persistent. Long-continuous and remaining attached.

Phyllopodic. Having the lower leaves with well-developed blades.

Pistil. The seed-bearing organ of a flower, consisting usually of

ovary, style, and stigma.

Pistillate. Provided with pistils.

Plano-convex. Flat on one surface, rounded on the other.

Plicate. Plaited ; folded as a fan.

Puberulent. Minutely pubescent.

Pubescent. Covered with hairs, especially short, soft, and downlike.

Pulverulent. Powdered; appearing as if covered with minute

grains of dust.

Punctate. Dotted with depressions or with translucent glands.

Rachilla. A small axis of an inflorescence.

214
Revolute. Rolled back from the margins or apex.

Rhizome (or rootstock). A prostrate, more or less elongate stem,

partly or completely beneath the surface of the ground and

usually rooting at the nodes.

Rugose. Wrinkled. Rugulose: the diminutive.

Scabridulous. Slightly rough.

Scabrous. Rough to the touch.

Septate. Divided by partitions.

Serrate. With small, sharp teeth pointing forward.

Serrulate. Minutely serrate.

Sessile. Not stalked.

Setaceous. Bristle-shaped.

Setose. Beset v^ith bristles.

Sheath. The tubular basal part of a leaf that encloses the stem.

Spike. A simple inflorescence with the flowers sessile or nearly so

on a more or less elongated rachis.

Squarrose. Spreading rigidly at right angles or more.

Squamiform. Scalelike.

Staminate. Having stamens only (pistils lacking).

Stigma. The apical part of the pistil on which the pollen is deposited and germinates,

Stipitate. Having a stipe or stalk.

Stoloniferous. Producing trailing shoots above ground, often rooting at the nodes.

Striate. Marked with fine longitudinal lines or streaks. Striolate:

the diminutive.

Subulate. Awl-shaped ; very narrow and tapering gradually from

the base.

Sulcate. Longitudinally grooved or furrowed.

Terete. Circular in cross-section ; cylindrical.

Trigonous. A three-dimensional figure, triangular in outline.

Truncate. Cut squarely across at the apex or base.

Ventral. Pertaining to the inner face of an organ, as opposed to

dorsal.

215

INDEX

Accepted scientific names are in boldface italics;

synonyms in plain italics* Common and sectional

names are in Roman type.

Page Page

Carex distentiformis 150

acrolepis 106 donnell'Smithii 174

agrostoides 36 egglestonii var.

alma 208 festivelliformis 66

androgyna 122 ehrenbergiana 158

angustiar 48 emoryi 182

anisostachys 122 endlichii 184

arsenii 76 eurycarpa 186

atractodes 118 eurycarpa var. oxycarpa 186

atrata var. discolor 180 felipensis 122

athrostachya 74 frankii 204

aureavsLr. celsa 114 fuscotincta 108

autumnalis 38 galbana 152

aztecica 108 garberi var. bifaria 114

ballsii 162 geophila 88

bartlettii 106 globosa 209

bella 180 guatemalensis 124

boliviensis 152 hartwegii 106

bonplandii 54 hassei 114

brevior 62 huethuetica 140

bromoides 50 hultenii 110

capitata 22 humboldtiana 102

caxinensis 144 hystricina 196

chiapensis 166 interior 44

chihuahuensis 42 involucratella 30

chlorocarpos 122 jamesonii 176

chordalis 164 jamesonii var. chordalis 164

ciliaris 126 jamesonii var. gracilis 164

cladostachya 106 jamesonii var.

comosa 200 melanosperma 172

complánala 154 jovis 174

consors 160 lagunensis 64

conspecta 146 lanuginosa 209

cortesii 168 laxiflora var. serrulata 116

coulteri 128 lemanniana 178

diehlii 60 lemanniana var. simplex 178

217
Page Page

leucodonta 86 rostrata 209

liebmannii 122 scabrella 100

longicaulis 126 schaffneri 26

longicauUs var. coulteri 128 schiedeana 94

longii 68 schiedeana var. perstricta 96

longissima 78 schiedeana var. stellata 98

lurida 206 seatoniana 192

mackenziana 136 senta 209

macrosperma 102 spissa 188

macúlala 160 spissa var. seatoniana 192

madrensis 112 spissa var. ultra 190

marcida 24 standleyana 104

marianensis 38 stellata 98

melanosperma 172 stenolepis 204

mexicana 106 steyermarkii 142

montícola 122 straminea var. australis 64

oaxacana 122 straminea var. brevior 62

occidentalis 32 stricta var. elongata 182

oerstedii 106 stricta var. emoryi 182

olivácea 122 subbracteata var.

oreades 64 tolucensis 58

oreocharis 80 subfusca 208

oxycarpa 186 thurberi 198

percostata 40 tojquianensis 170

perlonga 134 townsendii 46

perstricta 96 tribuloides 70

pertenuis 132 triceps 154

peucophila 64 triquetra 90

physorhyncha 82 tuberculata 156

pinetorum 64 tuberculata var.

pittierii 174 ehrenbergiana 158

planostachys 92 tunimanensis 148

polystachya 106 turbinata 84

polystachya var. ultra 190

hartlettii 106 vallicola 28

polystachya var. vallicola var. hidalgensis 28

madrensis 112 venosivaginata 138

polysticha 202 virginiana var.

potosina 26 elongata 182

praegracilis 24 viridiflora 130

pringlei 194 viridis 130,132

pseudo-cyperus var. volcánica 52

polysticha 202 xalapensis 34

psilocarpa 160 xerántica 72

purdiei 56 ACUTAE 182

quichensis 120 ATRATAE 180

rhynchophysa 82 BICOLORES 114

ringens 86 BRACTEOSAE 28

218
Page

CAPITATAE 22

DEWEYANAE 50

DIVISAE 24

EXTENSAE 150

FECUNDAE 156

FILIFOLIAE 76

GRANULARES 118

HISPIDAE 188

INDICAE 102

LAXIFLORAE 116

LONGICAULES 122

LONGIROSTRES 148

MONTANAE 82

MULTIFLORAE 36

Page

OVALES 52

POTOSINAE 26

PSEUDOGYPEREAE 196

SCABRELLAE 100

SCHIEDEANAE 94

SQUARROSAE 204

STELLULATAE 44

SYLVATICAE 146

TRIQUETRAE 90

VESICARIAE 206

VIRESCENTES 152

VIRIDIFLORAE 130

VULPINAE 42

^> U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1974 0-547-788

219