THE SEDGE FAMILY. 445 



Flowers not in distinct male and female catkins ; the lower spikelets either female 

 or mixed ; the terminal one always mixed, i. e., containing hoth male and 

 female flowers. 



A leaf-like hract, two or three inches long, under the 

 lowermost head. Lower spikelets very distant ; 

 the lowermost often two or three together. 

 Stems very slender, eighteen inches to two feet 



high. Flowers greenish 21. Axtl-floweeed Caeex. 



No such bract under the lowermost head. 

 Flowers brown, or at least more brown than green. 

 Spikelets few, oval, shining, large, close together, 

 each with a large egg-shaped bractea at the 



base. Stems twelve to eighteen inches high 17. Otai.-8piked Carex. 

 Spikelets small and generally numerous ; if only 

 a few, not oval. 

 Kootstock long and creeping ; stems twelve to 

 eighteen inches high ; spikelets crowded, 



rusty brown 22. Soft Beown Caeex. 



Stems tufted, without creeping rootstocks. 

 a. Spikes light-brown, large, thick, cylin- 

 drical, two to three inches long. Stem 

 eighteeD inches to two feet high, stout, 

 rough, sharply triangular, with con- 

 cave sides, and abruptly contracted at 

 the summit. Leaves long, broad, rough 



at the margins and keel 24. Fox Caeex. 



6. Spikelets darkish-brown, variegated with 

 green. 

 Spike short, dense, prickly with the 

 spreading beaks of the fruit. Stems 

 twelve to fifteen inches high. Spike- 

 lets four to six 23. PeicklV Caeex. 



Spikelets numerous, rather distant, long, 



and narrow. Stems two feet high. 19. Elongated Caeex. 

 c. Spikelets dark-brown, without intermixture 

 of green. Spike loose and rather com- 

 pound. 

 Stem three-cornered, with flat sides, two 

 to four feet high. Spike two to six 



inches long 25. Gt. Panicled Caeex. 



Stem three-cornered, with convex sides, 

 so as to be nearly cylindrical, 

 eighteen to twenty -four inches 

 high. Spikes dense, one to three 

 inches long 26. Kound-stalked Carex. 



