r»;>4 OYl'KKACE.E. (.SEDGE FAMILY.) 



hii^llv, sliurlor tliiiii tin- ovate fdinjj.^ct ."Spikes; .s])ikflet.s liiioar, nculo, 5 -8- 

 Ho\vor(!tl ; scales linear laiieeulale, acute, iii\ ulute, s|)reaclinj;, laucli longer 

 tliaii tlic ohliiiig linear iiciue dull ami luiiuitely pitted nut; culnia snioutli 

 (2'^-;i^ liigli) ; loaves very nnigli on the margins, whitish beneath. — .Swanips 

 and wet places, Florida to North Carolina. August- JSept. — Culm rather 

 slender, longer than the leaves. Spikelets G"-8" long. 



'J. C. bruuneus, Swartz. L'mitel compound, of 4-G rays; spikes ovate 

 or ohloug, dense ; spikelets .spreading (4" long), liuear-lanceolate, 8- 10-fiow- 

 ered, acute; scales obloug-ovate, acute, si)readiug, 'J-11-nerved, thrice the 

 length of the obloug-obovate poiuted blackish nut; culms oblu.se-angled, shorter 

 than the (.3^-4° long) whitish long-tajjcring leaves. — Sandy shores, South 

 Florida. Oct. 2/ — Culm 2° -3° high, Leaves njugh-edged. Kays 2' -3' 

 long. Sjiikelets light liruwn. Joints of the rachis broadly winged. 



10. C. erythrorhizos, -\Inhl. Umbel .3-12-rayed, shorter than the 

 involucre; .-spikelets very numerous, narrow-linear, 12-50 Howered ; .scales 

 minute, oidong-ovate, yellowish and glcjssy on the .sides ; wings of the rachis 

 at length free ; nut oval, comjires.sed-J-angled ; culms obtuse-angled; leaves 

 pale beneatli ; involucels leafy, longer than the spikes. — Ponds and ditches. 

 July-Sept. (1) — Culms i^-4° high. Leaves 1"-14" wide. Spikelets 

 2" - 8" long. 



11- C. Halei, Torr. Umbel many-rayed; spikes densely clu.stered, cylin- 

 drical, i'-'y long, the involucels few and linear; sjiikelets flat, 12-14- 

 flowered ; scales brown, .sharply keeled, 5-nerved ; nut tri(juetrous; culms 2° - 

 3° higli, round angled. — Marshes, Florida, and westward. 



12. C. dissitiflorus, Torr. Umbel simple, 3 - 4-rayed ; spikelets scat- 

 tered along the upper portion of the slender rays, lanceolate, compressed, 

 acute, 5-7-flowered; scales oblong- lanceolate, acute; nut obloug-obovate, 

 compressed-triangular; culms filiform (l°-2°high); leaves narrow-linear. — 

 Missi.s.sippi, Tennessee, and westward. 



■1- H- Spikelets terete or anrjular. 

 ■<-* Srahx close! ji imbricate : spikelets, short, oblong. 



13. C tetragonus, VAl. Umbel of 6- 12 slender rays; spikes cylindri- 

 cal, loose ; spikelets horizontal, short (2"-3" long), 4-angled, 4-G-flowered; 

 .scales ovate, 9- ll-uerved, twice as long as the oblong dull nut; culms mostly 

 slender, l°-2° high, as long as the leaves; involucre many-leaved. — Dry 

 .sandy soil, along the coast, Florida to North Carolina. August- Sept. ^ — 

 Spikes }'-lV long, .5" wide, those on the longer rays commonly compound. 

 Kays 3'- .5' long. 



14. C. ligularis, L. T'mbel many-rayed ; spikes compact, cylindrical, 

 compound, ])ale ; sjiikelets short (2" -3" long), .spreading, nearly terete, 7- 

 flowered ; scales thin, ovate, acute, 7-nerved, twice the length of the obovate 

 triangular acute nut ; rachis broadly winged ; culms stout, nearly terete (2°- 

 3° high), glaucous, like the broadly linear rough-edged leaves. — Wet sandy 

 places, Punta Itassa, South Florida.. 



++ -M-^Scales rather distant: spikelets linear. 

 1.5. C. speciOSUS, Vahl. L'mliel 4 - 6-rayed ; spikes loose, mostly shorter 

 than the leafy involucels; .spikelets spreading or reflexed, linear-subulate, 



