58 CYPERACEAE. 



what shorter than the perigynia: perigynia ovoid-oblong, obscurely 3-angled, 

 5 mm. long and 2.5 mm. in diameter, the beak i as long as the body, straight, 

 conspicuous, the orifice oblique. — S. Eare, in swamps. — Schists. — Spr. and 

 sum. 



34. C. platyphylla Carey. Leaves pale-green and glaucous, those of sterile culms 

 much larger than those of fertile culms; blades elongate, 9-25 mm. wide, very 

 smooth (except edges): culms 1-4 dm. long, spreading or reclining: staminate 

 spike peduncled: pistillate spikes 2-4, all but the upper one slender-peduncled, 

 erect, distant, loosely 4-10-flowered: scales acute to short-awned : perigynia 

 acutely triangular, short-tapering at base, oblong, 2.5-3.5 mm. long, many- 

 nerved, smooth, abruptly bent at the apex. — M. Rare, in thickets. — Lime- 

 stones. — Spr. and sum. 



35. C. digitalis Willd. Leaves bright-green; blades 2.5-5 mm. wide, hispidu- 

 lous on veins, erect: culms weak, slender, 1-4.5 dm. long, usually exceeded 

 by second bract and leaves: staminate spike stalked: pistillate spikes 2-4, 

 linear, loosely alternately 3-12-flowered, 1-3 cm. long, the lower filiform-stalked, 

 spreading or drooi^ing: scales acute, acuminate or short-awned: perigynia 

 oblong, minutely roughened^ sharply triangular, many-nerved, 3 mm. long, more 

 than 1 mm. thick, the short beak slightly oblique. — M. S. Eather rare, in 

 woods. ■ — Schists, quartzite. — Spr. and sum. 



36. C. laxiculmis Schwein. Leaves glaucous or at times green, spreading, his- 

 pidulous on veins; blades elongate, 4-12 mm. wide: culms slender, ascending 

 or diffuse, 1.5-6 dm. long, usually exceeding second bract and leaves: staminate 

 spike long-stalked: pistillate spikes 2-4, oblong, 5-10-flowered, 6-12 mm. long, 

 about 4 mm. thick, drooping from long hair-like stalks or the upper short- 

 stalked: perigynia ovoid-oblong, sharply 3-angled, short-tapering at base, 

 many-nerved, minutely roughened, 3-4 mm. long, scarcely beaked, longer than 

 the ovate green cuspidate or short-awned scales. — M. Eather rare, in woods 

 and thickets. — Spr. 



37. C. albursina Sheldon. Leaves deep-green; blades 7-40 mm. wide, soft: 

 culms 1-5 dm. long, strongly flattened and winged above: staminate spike 

 sessile or nearly so : pistillate spikes 2-4, the lower peduncled and distant, the 

 upper approximate and sessile or nearly so: scales broadly oblong, half the 

 length of the perigynia^ very truncate, white, except the green midrib: peri- 

 gynia obtusely triangular, long-tapering at base, obovoid, 3-4 mm. long, many- 

 nerved, the beak abruptly bent. — S. Eare, in woods. — Schists. — Spr. 



38. C. blanda Dewey. Leaf -blades 3-14 mm. wide, soft : culms loosely erect, 

 coarsely cellular, nearly smooth, flattened, 1.5-6 dm. tall: sterile shoots develop- 

 ing conspicuous culms: bract-sheaths loose, the margins much crisped: stami- 

 nate spike usually short-stalked or sessile: pistillate spikes 2-4, the upper two 

 contiguous, the lower more or less remote, oblong or linear-oblong, erect, 6-16 

 mm. long, rather closely 8-25-flowered : perigynia as in C. laxiflora Lam. — 

 Frequent, in rich woods and thickets. — Spr. 



39. C. laxiflora Lam. Leaf -blades 3-7 mm. wide, soft: culms slender, roughish 

 above, 1.5-6 dm. long, the sterile shoots developing conspicuous culms: bract- 

 sheaths tight, the margins little crisped: staminate spike usually stalked: 

 pistillate spikes 2-4, distant, linear-cylindric, 3-4 mm. thick, all slender-stalked, 

 spreading or the upper erect and sessile, loosely several-many-flowered: scales 

 ovate with broad white scarious margins, acute, cuspidate or awned: perigynia 

 obovoid, obtusely triangular, long-tapering at base, more or less oblique, 2.5-3 

 mm. long, strongly many-nerved, each tapering into a short outwardly bent 

 entire beak. — Common, in woods and thickets. — Spr. 



40. C. anceps Muhl. Plants similar to C. laxiflora in habit, but usually larger, 

 deep-green, the sterile shoots not developing conspicuous culms: leaf -blades, at 

 least those of the lower leaves, 5-20 mm. wide, usually less than 3 dm. long: 



