66 CYPERACEAE. 



usually clustered in terminal corymbs, panicles or 

 cymes. Scales mostly about 5, closely imbricated, 

 brown, the lower empty, the terminal one fertile and the 

 1-2 below it staminate. Perianth none. Stamens 2-3. 

 Style 2-3-cleft, somewhat dilated at the base, continuous 

 with the ovary. Achene ovate or oblong-ovate, smooth, 

 acute with the obscure persistent base of the style. 



1, C. mariscus californicum Wats. Stems in rather dense 

 tussocks, stout, 18-24 dm. high; leaves equaling the stem; panicle 

 diffuse, drooping; spikelets in clusters of 2-3, narrowly oblong, 

 4-6 mm. long; lower scales ovate, acutish or acute, the upper lance- 

 olate, acute or acuminate, light brown; achene brown, ovate, attenu- 

 ate above. 



Collected in a swamp near San Gabriel {Brewer), but not seen 

 since in southern California until recently when it was discovered 

 near Upland {Jolmston). 



7. CAREX L. Sedge. 



Grass-like sedges, perennial by rootstocks, with mostly 

 3-angled stems. Leaves 3-ranked, the upper elongated 

 or short and subtending the spikes of flowers or wanting. 

 Flowers monoecious or dioecious, solitary in the axils of 

 scales. Spikes either wholly pistillate or staminate, or 

 bearing staminate and pistillate flowers (androgynous). 

 Perianth none. Staminate flowers of 3 stamens. Pis- 

 tillate of a single pistil with a style and 2-3 stigrnas 

 borne on a very short axis in the axil of a scale-like 

 bractlet (perigynium) which completely encloses the 

 achene. Achene 3-angled, lenticular or plano-convex. 



Spikelets unisexual, all distinct and sometimes 

 remote, staminate uppermost. 

 Perigynia attenuate to a beak, one-third as 

 long as the body or longer. 

 Spikelets drooping. 1. C. comosa. 



Spikelets erect. 2. C. lanuginosa. 



Perigynia short-beaked or beakless. 



Pistillate spikelets compactly many-flow- 

 ered. 

 Stigmas 3. 3. C. spissa. 



Stigmas 2. 



Beaks of perigynia 2-toothed. 4. C. laciniata. 



Beaks of perigynia entire. 



Pistillate spikelets 3-5 cm. long, 



peduncled. 5. C. senta. 



Pistillate spikelets 6-10 cm. 

 long, sessile. 6. C. barbarae. 



