CYPERACEJE. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 553 
Ohio. —Very like the next, but a taller and stouter plant, with thick¬ 
er and longer spikes- 
67. C. formosa, Dew. Fertile spikes oblong, short, common¬ 
ly with 2-3 barren flowers or empty scales at the base; perigynia 
somewhat contracted at each end, nearly twice as long as the pointed 
or cuspidate scale. — Wet meadows, Massachusetts to W. New York. 
68. C. gracfllima, Schw. Fertile spikes linear, slender; per- 
igynia obtuse and slightly oblique at the orifice , longer than the oblong 
awned scale. (C. digitalis, Schic. Torr ., not of Willd.) — Wet 
meadows, N. New England to Michigan. — When this species occurs 
with the uppermost spike altogether staminate, it much resembles No. 
90; but is readily distinguished by the obtuse, beakless and sessile 
perigynium. 
§ 3. Perigynia without a beak, hairy (in No. 70 becoming smooth at 
maturity), slightly inflated , bluntly 3-angled, obtuse, conspicuously 
nerved, with a minute abrupt straight point: bracts narrow, with 
very short or obsolete sheaths, the lowest exceeding the culm: pis¬ 
tillate scales tawny or white: spikes 2-4, erect , the uppermost an¬ 
drogynous, pistillate at the apex and club-shaped ; the rest all fertile. 
— VlRESCENTES. 
69. C. virescens, Muhl. Spikes oblong or cylindrical , on short 
stalks ; perigynia ovoid , nearly entire at the orifice, rather longer than 
the ovate awned scale ; leaves and sheaths hairy. (C. costata, Schw.) 
— Rocky woods and hill-sides, New England to Michigan. — Culms 
rough and slender, 1°-2P high, very numerous from the tufted roots : 
fertile spikes - 1' long. 
70. C. triceps, Michx. Spikes ovoid , nearly sessile, closely ap¬ 
proximate ; perigynia broadly obovoid , entire at the orifice, downy 
when young, smooth at maturity , rather longer than the pointed scale \ 
sheaths very hairy , leaves more or less so. (C. hirsuta, Willd. C. vi- 
ridula, Schw. ^ Torr., not of Michx.) — Varies with the spikes Tather 
longer and on stalks, and the leaves nearly smooth. (C. hirsuta, var. 
pedunculata, Schw. Torr.) — Woods and meadows, New England 
to Michigan. — Culm 12'-18' high, occurring in the South with the 
leaves nearly smooth except upon the sheaths. Spikes long. 
§ 4. Perigynia without a beak, smooth, not inflated, 2-angled, regularly 
striate, terminating in a short entire rather obliquely-bent or recurved 
point, remaining green at maturity: pistillate scales membranaceous, 
mostly with a rough point or awn, brown or spotted, fading to 
white : staminate spike 1 : pistillate spikes 2-5,. few-flowered, more 
or less remote, the lowest often near the base of the culm. 
* Sterile spike club-shaped : fertile spikes (erect, the uppermost com¬ 
monly near the base of the sterile) all on stalks principally included 
(except sometimes the lowest) within sheathing bracts , shorter than 
the spikes, or not much exceeding them : perigynia ovoid-triquetrous , 
47 
