6SS CYPERACEA. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 



Synopsis of Sections and Groups. 



§ I CAREX proper. Stamiuate flowers forming one or more terminal linear or club-shaped 

 spikes (often pistillate at base or apex). Pistillate flowers usually in distinct and sim- 

 ple mostly peduncled spikes. Cross-section of perigynium circular, obtusely anglec, or 

 prominently triangular in outline. Style mostly 3 parted and achene triangular or 

 triquetrous. 



* 1. Physocarpae. Perigynium mostly straw-colored at maturity, papery in texture, usu- 

 ally more or less inflated, smooth (sometimes hairy in n. C), nerved, tapering into a beak 

 as long as or longer than the body; spikes few to many, distinct, compactly flowered • 

 stigmas 3 (2 in n. 10). 



♦- 1. Paucijiorce. Perigynium greenish, linear-lanceolate or almost needle shaped, not in- 

 flated, strongly deflexed at maturity, several times longer than the inconspicuous scale ; 

 spike androgynous, the pistillate flowers at base, few. — Sp. 1. 



I- 2. Lupuiinn:. Perigynium green or greenish-tawuy or sometimes yellow, more or less 

 inflated (except in n. 2-4), long, usually vei-y turgid at base, mostly erect or nearly so, 

 very gradually attenuate to a long slenderly toothed beak exceeding the scale ; spikes 3 

 or more, the staminate mostly 1 and stalked, the pistillate often sessile, usually short 

 and thick, often becoming dark colored in drying. — Sp. 2 - S. 



-^ 3. Veaicarice. Perigynium smooth and shining, much inflated, at maturity straw-colored 

 or sometimes purple, beaked and conspicuously short-toothed (entire in n. 10), usually 

 prominently few-nerved, much shorter than in -t- 2 ; staminate spikes commonly 2 or 

 more ; pistillate spikes as a rule long and densely cyliudrical. — Sp. 9 - 16. 



— 4. Pseudocypero}. Perigynium less inflated, more conspicuously nerved or even costate, 

 and with more or less setaceous or awned teeth ; scale usually awned ; spikes mostly 

 nodding or spreading, comose in appearance, greenish, greenish-yellow, or ochroleucous 



— Sp. 17-19. 



•*- 5. Squar'^osce. Perigynium obconic or obovoid, squarrose in exceedingly dense short 

 spikes. — Sp. 20, 21. 



• 2. Trachychlsense. PerigjTiium mostly thick and hard in texture, often scabrous or 

 hirsute, straight-beaked ; pistillate spikes compactly flowered, mostly large, erect or 

 nearly so ; staminate spikes 1 or more ; stigmas 3. Generally large and coarse. 



•f- 1. Shortiame. Terminal spike androgynous, staminate below ; perigynium small, sca- 

 brous, nearly beakless, entire. — Sp. 22. 



1- 2. Anomalce. Terminal spike all staminate ; pistillate spikes long and cylindrical, mostly 

 dense ; perigynium broad and short, short-beaked, the orifice very slightly notched or 

 entire, mostly granulate. — Sp. 23. 



t- 3. Hirtce. A heterogeneous group, distinguished from -*- 2 by the longer and more deeply 

 cut beak (slightly toothed m n. 24), and by the hairy perigynium (smooth in n. 25). -■ 

 Sp. 24 - 27. 



♦- 4. Paludosce. Staminate spikes 2 or more, long-stalked ; the pistillate 2- several, usually 

 all peduncled, long and heavy, loose-flowered, erect or nodding ; perigynium large, thick 

 in texture, strongly nerved, mostly smooth, usually consi)icuously beaked. Coarse 

 species. — Sp. 28, 29. 



-= 3. Microrhynchse. Parallel with * 2 ; distinguished in general by the much smallei 

 and nearly or entirely beakless and mostly entire-mouthed perigynium, which is much 

 thinner in texture ; stigmas 2 or 3. Paludose and alpine species, of various habit, mostly 

 with colored spikes, often in dense tufts or tussocks. 



■t- 1. Atratce. Terminal spike club-shaped and androgynous with the staminate flowers be- 

 low (very rarely all staminate in n. 32); pistillate spikes mostly short and dark-colored, 

 erect or drooping ;■ stigmas 3. — Sp. 30 - 32. 



■K- 2. Rigidce. Mostly stiff, with short erect closely flowered spikes, an entirely staminate 

 terminal spike, dark colored scales, and bracts with purple or black auricles at base ; 

 stigmas 2 or 3. — Sp. 33. 



*- S. Acutce. Mostly larger and more slender, usually paludose, with green or light-colored 

 large and long spikes ; stigmas 2 (3 in n. 39). Distinguished from ••- 2 mainly by habit 



— 8p. 34-38. 



