o68 cxrr.TiArv.JE. (skhoe famii.v.) 



seitsilo, the lowest distant ami long-peduiiclcd ; pcripynia Hmall, f;lo))080-ovate, 

 contracted into a niiiiute mostly recurved entire or eniargiuate point, longer 

 than the ovate obtuse or barely pointed scale. — Meadows and iianks of 

 streams, Florida, and iiDrtiiward. — Cidms C- 12' high. Leaves and iiracts 

 broadly linear, .3-nerviil. 



51. C. COnoidea, Schk. Sterile spike long-jied uncled ; fertile spikes 

 2-3, oblong iir cylindrical, densely many-liowercd, remote; ])crigynia small, 

 oblong-ovoid, obtuse, striate with iin])ressed nerves, smooth and shining, equal- 

 ling or the lower shorter than the ovate pointed or short-awned scale. — 

 Mountains of North Carolina, and northward. — Culms 6'- 12' high. Leaves 

 and bracts linear. Spikes A'-f long, the lowest loug-peduucled. 



52. C. tetanica, Schk. Sterile spike .short-pedunded; fertile spikes 

 1-3, linear-cylindrical, remote, loo.sely flowered ; j)erigynia obovate, narrowed 

 at the base, contracted into a short bent ])oint, longer tiian the ovate acute or 

 short-awned scale. — Mountains of North Carolina, and northward. — Culms 

 1° high. Leaves and bracts narrowly linear. 



53. C. Meadii, Dew. Sterile spike mostly long-jicdnnclcd, slender; fer- 

 tile sj)ikes 1 -3, oblong (4"-8" long), closely dowered; ])erigynia olxjvate, 

 abruptly contracted into the entire orifice, barely longer than the oblong acute 

 broadly margined scale; culm 6' -12' high; leaves narrow-linear, shorter 

 than tiie culm. — Mountains of Georgia, and northward. 



54. C. polymorpha, ^luld. Sterile spikes 1 or 2, short, long-]iedun. 

 cled; fertile spikes 1 or 2, remote, erect; perigynia obhmg-ovate, minutely 

 granular, entire at the white obliiiue orifice, longer than the ovate, mostly ob- 

 tuse, brownish purple scale; culms l°-l^°high; leaves short, erect. — Low 

 grassy meadows, North Carolina (Cia-tis), and northward. 



55. C. oligOCarpa, Schk. Sterile spike short-pedunded ; fertile spikes 

 mostly 3, loosely 4 - 8-tlowered ; perigynia thick, finely striate, ol)long, with 

 a straight or slightly spreading point, shorter than the ovate long-awned 

 white scale; style very short; culms 10' -15' high; leaves narrow-linear. — 

 North Carolina (Curtis), and northward. 



t t Perirjiinia smooth, 3-ant/led, with a recurved or spreading point: lowest 



peduncles elongated and often recurved. 



\ Bracts leafij : scales ichite. 



56. C. laxiflora, Lam. Sterile spike pednncled, exceeding the bracts; 

 fertile spikes 2-3, remote, linear, loosely 8- 12-flowered ; perigynia oblong- 

 obovate, tapering into a smooth .spreading entire beak, longer than the oblong 

 mucronate scale. — Plant more or less glaucous. Culm 10'- 15' high, usually 

 compres.sed-3-angled above. Leaves linear or lanceolate, tender. Sheaths 

 smooth. 



Var. Striatula. Culms, leaves, and especially the sheaths, rough ; sterile 

 spike sessile or nearly so, shorter than the bracts; fertile spikes 3-5, rather 

 closely 12-20-flowered, the 2-3 up])er ones commonly approximate; peri- 

 gynia obovate, abruptly short and bent-pointed. — Dry open woods and mar- 

 gins of fields; common, and varying greatly in the form of the perigynia and 

 width of the leaves. 



