10 THE GENUS CAREX IN CALIFORNIA 



SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES 



A. SPIKE ONE, ANDROGYNOUS, BRACTLESS; PERIGYNIA GLABROUS, BEAKED, 

 THE BEAK WITH CLOSED SUTURE AT APEX DORSALLY. 



Achenes triangular; stigmas three. 



Pistillate scales persistent; perigynia inflated, sessile, not becoming reflexed 1. Inflatm. 



Pistillate scales deciduous; perigynia not inflated, stipitate, at least the lower reflexed at ma- 

 turity 2. Athrochlamce. 



Achenes lenticular; stigmas two 3. Capitatce. 



B. SPIKES ONE TO MANY; IF ONE, NOT AS IN A. 



1. ACHENES LENTICULAR AND STIGMAS TWO; LATERAL SPIKES SESSILE; TER- 



MINAL SPIKE PARTLY PISTILLATE, OR IF 

 STAMINATE THE LATERAL SPIKES 

 SHORT OR HEADS DIOECIOUS. 

 Perigynia not white-puncticulate. 



Rootstocks long-creeping, the culms arising singly or few together; perigynia with beak obliquely 

 cut, at most bidentulate. 

 Spikes densely aggregated into a globose or ovoid head, appearing like one spike. ...4. Fwtidce. 



Spikes, at least the lower, distinct 5. Divisce. 



Cespitose or rootstocks short-creeping; perigynia obliquely cut to deeply bidentate. 

 Spikes androgynous (i. e., staminate flowers uppermost). 

 Perigynia abruptly contracted into the beak. 



Spikes few (usually ten or less); perigynia green or tinged with reddish-brown 



6. Muhlenbergiance. 



Spikes numerous; perigynia yellowish or brownish at flowering. 



Perigynia yellowish; opaque part of leaf-sheath usually transversely rugulose. 



7. Multiflorm. 



Perigynia brownish; opaque part of leaf-sheath not transversely rugulose. 



8. Paniculatce. 



Perigynia tapering into the beak 9. Stenorhynchce. 



Spikes gynaecandrous (i. e., pistillate flowers uppermost). 

 Perigynia at most thin-edged. 



Perigynia spreading or ascending at maturity 10. Stellulatw. 



Perigynia appressed 11. Deweyance. 



Perigynia narrowly to broadly wing-margined 12. Ovales. 



Perigynia white-puncticulate 13. Canescentes. 



2. ACHENES TRIANGULAR AND STIGMAS THREE, OR LENTICULAR AND STIGMAS 



TWO; IF LENTICULAR, LOWER LATERAL SPIKES CONSPICUOUSLY 

 PEDUNCLED, OR TERMINAL SPIKE STAM- 

 INATE AND LATERAL SPIKES 

 ELONGATED. 



Staminate and pistillate spikes on different culms 17. Scirpinm. 



Staminate and pistillate spikes on the same culms. 

 Spike solitary. 



Perigynia many-nerved, rounded and beakless at apex 14. Polytrichoideae. 



Perigynia 2-keeled, not rounded at apex, beakless or beaked. 



Perigynia glabrous 15. Firmiculmes. 



Perigynia pubescent or puberulent 16. Filifolice. 



Spikes more than one. 



Perigynia closely enveloping the achene, strongly tapering at base, pubescent or puberulent; 



bracts sheathless or nearly so 18. Montana. 



Perigynia not as above; or if so, at least the lowest bract strongly sheathing. 



Bracts (at least lowest) long-sheathing, more or less purplish-tinged, the blades absent or 

 rudimentary 19. Digitatce. 



