544 
CYPERACEJE. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 
scale. (C. chrta, Good. C. Richard!, Michx.) Var. 1. alpicola has 
smaller roundish and less distant spikes (6- 10-flowered) ; the peri- 
gynia with rather longer points, spreading and tawny at maturity. 
(C. canescens, var. alpicola, Wuhl. C. curta, var. brunn6scens, Pers. 
C. Gebhardi, Hoppe .— Var. 2. sphjerostAchya differs in the fewer, 
rather smaller spikes, with somewhat narrower and more tapering 
perigynia, not becoming tawny. (C. canescens, var. sphaerostachya, 
Tuckerman. C. sphaerostachya, Dew.) — Wet meadows and marshes, 
N. New England to Wisconsin. — The varieties are frequent on high 
mountains, and differ chiefly in the smaller spikes, and slender culm 
and leaves : the peculiarity in var. 2 is probably attributable to closer 
shade. 
**“ Perigynia thickened only at the base, obscurely nerved on the outer 
side, tapering into a rough 2-toothed beak. 
32. C. Dewey alia, Schw. Spikes about 4, the 2 uppermost 
approximate, the others distinct, the lowest with a long bract; 'perigy¬ 
nia oblong-lanceolate, rather longer than the sharply pointed or awned 
scale. —Copses, N. New England to Wisconsin. 
* * Spikes ovoid or obovoid, more or less clustered ; perigynia concavo- 
convex, compressed, margined or winged , nerved, with a rough 2- 
toothed beak, often tawny at maturity: scales tawny or white, awn¬ 
less: bracts bristle-shaped, usually falling before the maturity of the 
spikes (in No. 34 persistent, very long and leaf-like). 
Spikes small; perigynia thick and spongy at the base, with a rigid 
margin, not dilated. — Stei.lulA.ta:. 
33. C* stellulata. Good. Spikes 3-5, distinct, obovoid or 
roundish at maturity ; perigynia ovate from a broad somewhat heart- 
shaped base, widely spreading at maturity, longer than the ovate acute 
scale ; achenium ovate, abruptly contracted into a minute stalk; style 
slightly tumid at the base. — Var. 1. scirpoides has smaller more 
approximate spikes; the perigynia ovate from a rounded or truncate 
base, narrower and less acute scales, and a very short style. (C. scir¬ 
poides, Schk.) — Var. 2. sterilis has the spikes occasionally ditreious, 
or the staminate ones with but few fertile flowers, and the pistillate 
nearly destitute of barren ones; culms stouter and rigidly erect; and 
with the leaves generally glaucous; achenium rounder, with a more 
tapering base, and the style scarcely tumid at the base. (C. sterilis, 
Schk.) —Var. 3. angustata has about 4 aggregated spikes, with nar- 
rowhj-lunceolate perigynia tapering into a long slightly rough beak, 
more than twice the length of the blunt scale ; achenium oblong. * 
Swamps and wet meadows, common. —There appear to be no suf¬ 
ficiently constant characters for distinguishing these varieties, of which 
the last, from the prolonged narrow fruit, is the most remarkable, and 
differs from C. scirpoides, Schk., in that respect. 
Spikes rather large : perigynia thickened and spongy on the angle s, 
