548 
CYPERACEJE. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 
without nerves , covered with very minute transparent dots, and some¬ 
times very slightly rough at the apex, with an abrupt, very short , 
notched orifice , broader and much shorter than the lanceolate pointed 
brown scale; culm sharply triangular, smooth below, exceeding the 
rough sharp-pointed leaves. (C. acuta, var. er6cta, Dew.?) — Wet 
meadows, Rhode Island ( Olney) and westward. — Culm 1°-2° high, 
with commonly 2 fertile spikes —in length, of a somewhat bris¬ 
tly appearance from the long and spreading scale. This species dif¬ 
fers from the next chiefly in the rounder perigynium and nearly 
smooth culm. 
46. €!• Strict a, Lam. Staminate spikes 1-3; the fertile 2-4, 
cylindrical , slender , usually barren at the summit , sessile, or the lower 
on a short stalk ; lower bract with rounded or oblong brown auricles, 
seldom exceeding the culm; perigynia ovate-acuminate or elliptical , 
nerveless or very obscurely few-nerved, often minutely rough on the 
short , entire , or slightly notched point , usually shorter and broader than 
the narrow reddish-brown scale; culm slender , sharply triangular , 
rough , longer than the narrow and rigid rough and glaucous leaves. 
(C. acuta, Muhl. and American authors , not of L. C. Virginians, 
Smith in Rees Cycl. fide Boolt. C. angustata, Boott.) — Var. stric- 
tior has shorter and more densely flowered fertile spikes, and pen- 
gynia equalling or somewhat exceeding the scale. (C. strictior, Dew.) 
— Wet meadows and swamps, common. Grows in large, thick tufts, 
2°-24° high. The scales of the fertile spikes are very variable; the 
lower commonly acute, the upper narrower and obtuse. This species 
and the last have been referred to C. acuta, L., which is probably not 
found in North America. 
47. C. aquatilis, Wahl. Sterile spikes commonly 2-3; the 
fertile 3-5, club-shaped , erect , densely flowered, sessile , or the lower on 
very short stalks; bracts long , 1-2 of the lowest exceeding the culm, 
perigynia obovate-elliptical, stalked , nerveless , with a very short entire 
point about the length of the lanceolate scale ; culm sharply triangu¬ 
lar, rough towards the top, not much exceeding the pale-green glau¬ 
cous leaves.— Margins of lakes and rivers, N. New England to Mich¬ 
igan. — A rather robust species 2P-2£° high, with thick fertile spikes, 
1' - 2' long. 
48. c. sailua, Wahl. Sterile spikes 2-3; the fertile 2-4, 
cylindrical , erect , often sterile at the apex, on more or less include 
stalks ; bracts long, with rounded auricles, the two lowest commonly 
exceeding the culm ; perigynia ovate-elliptical , with a minute entire 
point, nerveless, rather shorter than the roughly-awned dark-brown 
scale; culm rough at the top, rather exceeding the leaves. —Massa¬ 
chusetts (near Chelsea ? B. D. Greene ), and Arctic America. — D 18 " 
tinguished from all others of this group, except the next, by the awn- 
ed scales, and from that species by the shorter erect spikes and dark 
scales. 
