131.
Carex
feta
L. H. Bailey, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 20: 417. 1893.
Carex straminea Willdenow ex Schkuhr var. mixta L. H. Bailey, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 151. 1887, not C. mixta J. F. Gmelin 1791
Plants densely cespitose. Culms 51—97 cm. Leaves: sheaths adaxially green-veined nearly to collar, ± white-hyaline triangular area to 6 mm proximal to collar, firm, summits tinged brown, usually rounded, prolonged to 1.5—6 mm beyond collar; distal ligules (3—)4—8 mm; blades 3—4(—5) per fertile culm, 15—25(—45) cm × (2.5—)3—4(—5) mm. Inflorescences proximal branches often bearing several spikes, green to pale brown, 3.5—8 cm × 10—13 mm; proximal internode 5—12 mm; 2d internode 4—11 mm; proximal bracts bristlelike, shorter than inflorescences. Spikes (6—)8—12, distant, distinct, broadly ovoid, 11—18 × 6—8 mm, base attenuate, apex rounded. Pistillate scales white-hyaline or pale gold, with green, gold, or brown midstripe, lanceolate to ovate, 2.7—3.5 mm, somewhat shorter and narrower than perigynia, apex obtuse or acute. Perigynia ascending to ascending-spreading, white or gold conspicuously (1—)3—8-veined abaxially, conspicuously 1—7-veined adaxially, ovate to broadly ovate, flat or plano-convex, 3.2—4.2 × 1.7—2.1 mm, 0.4—0.5 mm thick, margin flat, including wing 0.3—0.5(—0.6) mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least distally; beak white or gold at tip, flat, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture inconspicuous or with conspicuous white margin, distance from beak tip to achene (1.5—)1.8—2.4 mm. Achenes ovate to obovate, (1.3—)1.5—1.8 × 0.9—1.2 mm, 0.4—0.5 mm thick. 2n = 66.
Fruiting late spring—summer. Meadows, forest edges, stream banks, wet soils; 30—2400 m; B.C.; Calif., Oreg., Wash.
