CYPERACEiE. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 589 



*- 4. Cryptocai-pce. Large, with nodding or drooping large spikes, their dark scales very 



long and conspicuous ; stigmas 2. — Sp. 40, 41. 

 H- 6. Pendulinui. Distinguished from -•- 4 by the smaller size, smaller spikes, sheathlesa 



bracts, and whitish, more or less granulated, nearly pointless perigynmin ; stigmas 3. — 



Sp. 42-45. 



« 4. Hymenochlsenae. Perigynium mostly light green or whitisli, usually thin and mem-- 

 branous, often somewhat inflated or loosely investing the achene, commonly smooth 

 and sliining (hairy in n. 46, sometimes in n. 47), slender or oblong, attenuate to a dis- 

 tinct or long minutely toothed straight beak (or beukless or nearly so in i- 1 and n. 55); 

 pistiUate spikes several or many, mostly loosely flowered and on filiform nodding or 

 widely spreading peduncles ; bracts leaf-like; terminal spike staminate or androgynous ; 

 stigmas '6. Mostly rather tail and slender upland species. 



•1- 1. Virescentes. Terminal spike pistillate at top ; pistillate spikes oblong or cylindrical, 

 dense, erect; perigynium ovate or obovate, nearly or quite beakless, often hairy. — 6p. 

 46, 47. 



■*- 2. Sylvaticm. Terminal spike all staminate ; pistillate spikes mostly long-exserted, slen- 

 der; perigynium few-nerved, contracted into a cylindrical beak which is longer than the 

 body. — Sp. 48. 



•1-3, Flexiles. Terminal spike all staminate; pistillate spikes rather thick (very small in 

 n. 50), more or less drooping; perigynium beaked, few-nerved or nerveless, tawny or 

 whitish. — tip. 49, 50. 



«- 4. Debiles. Terminal spike all staminate (occasionally pistillate above in n. 53); pistil- 

 late spikes very narrow and slender, long-exserted and noddmg, mostly very loosely 

 flowered ; perigynium rather small, not turgid, prominently beaked. — Sp. 51-53. 



<- 5. Gracillimos. Terminal spike pistillate at top ; pistillate spikes habitually thicker than 

 in •«- 4 ; perigjmium ovate-oblong, more or less turgid ; the beak short or none. — Sp. 

 54 - 57. 



■*- 6. Griseoe, Terminal spike staminate ; perigynium more or less turgid or plump, often 

 glaucous, scarcely beaked, finely striate ; spikes erect. — Sp. 5S, 59. 



• 5. Spirostachyie. Perigynium smooth or minutely granulated or rarely somewhat ser- 



rate on the margins, prominently nerved, mostly yellowish, squarrose, mostly beaked 

 (entirely beakless in n. 63), the orifice entire ; staminate spike mostly single : pistillate 

 spikes 2-5, short (usually 1' long or less), yellow or fuscous, compactly flowered ; stig- 

 mas 3. — Medium-sized species, growing in meadows and grassy swales. 



•^- 1. Granulares. Spikes scattered, cylindrical, the lowest long-stalked ; bracts erect, long 

 and leafy ; sheaths short or nearly obsolete. — Sp. 60, 61. 



*- 2. Extensrp. Spikes mostly approximate or aggregated at the top of the culm (becoming 

 remote in C. extensa), the lowest 1 or 2 subtended by a long and leafy mostly abruptly 

 spreading and nearly or entirely sheathless bract. Terminal spike sometimes andro- 

 gynous. — Sp. 62. 



t- 3. Pallescentes. Spikes globular or short-oblong, obtuse, sessile or short-peduncled, ap- 

 proximate at the top of the culm ; bracts short, leaf-like, sheathless ; perigynium entire 

 at the orifice, the beak none or very short and stout. — Sp. 63, 64. 



* 6. Dactylostachyse. Perig>Tiium mostly short and triangular, mostly with a short and 



straight or curved beak, green or greenish, scarcely inflated ; scales of the pistillate 

 spikes mostly whitish (sometimes dark-colored in the Digitatfr), often small; staminate 

 spike mostly one : pistillate spikes short (seldom exceeding 1'), commonly rather loosely 

 flowered and slender (spike single and plant dioecious in n. S3) ; bracts sheathing, the 

 sheaths of en conspicuous and colored. — Low and lax or slender species inhabiting 

 meadows and copses. 



•" 1. OligocarpcE:. Slender and narrow-leaved, with leafy bracts and inconspicuous green 

 sheaths ; perigynium rounded on the angles, finely many-striate, often somewhat punc- 

 tulate as in n. 58, to which liie group forms a transition. — Sp. 65-67. 



*- 2. LaxiflorcB. Slender and more or less broad-leaved, witli mostly leafy bracts, green oi 

 purple sheaths, and loosely flowered spikes: perig>'nium mostly conspicuously three 

 angled, with a more or less curved beak. — Sp. 68-74, 



