EEPOET OF THE 8TATB BOTANIST. 101 



Staminate spikes 1-t, short or long-stalked, often pistillate at 

 the base or apex ; pistillate spikes 1-5, cylindrical, usually densely 

 flowered, the upper approximate (clustered in 127), sessile or 

 short-stalked, erect or spreading, the lower sometimes drooping, 

 or all distant, short stalked or sessile, erect or ascending, some- 

 times sterile at the apex, straw-colored or tawny ; bracts like the 

 leaves, the lower sometimes sheathing, equaling or surpassing 

 the culm ; perigynia ovate or globular-ovoid, much inflated, 

 nerved or nerveless, ascending or spreading (reflexed in 127) 

 shining, with a prominent bidentate beak. (Spikes pendulous, 

 loosely flowered and perigynia globular with a needle-shaped 

 beak in 133.) 



Perigynia large, l^"-3" wide 1 



Perigynia small, less th in 1^" wide 2 



1 Pistillate spikes 2 or more, aseentling Tuckermani. 



1 Pistillate spikes 1 or 2, perigynia widely spreading. . . bullata. 



2 Pistillate spikes less than 4" wide 3 



2 Pistillate spikes 4" wide or more 4 



3 Spikes erect or spreading monile. 



3 Spikes drooping longirostris. 



4 Spikes contiguous, perigj'nia reflexed retrorsa. 



4 Spikes approximate or distant, perigynia not reflexed, 6 



5 Spikes distant utriculata. 



5 Spikes approximate or the lowest only distant Scbweinitzii, 



127. Carex retrorsa Schw. 



Stems densely clustered, 2°-3° high, firm and erect, smooth 

 with obtuse angles ; leaves much longer than the culm, l^"-*" 

 wide, rough, bright green ; staminate spikes 1-3, often slightly 

 pistillate above or at the base, cylindricil, l'-2' long ; pistillate 

 spikes 3-5, densely flowered, cylindrical, l'-2' long or more, 4"-5" 

 thick, the upper contiguous and erect on short included stalks, the 

 lowest sometimes distant or remote on a short or long partly 

 drooping peduncle, one or more often compound at the base; bracts 

 leaf-like, short-sheathing, or sometimes the uppermost filiform, all 

 much surpassing the culm ; perigynia ovoid, prominently few- 

 nerved, thin, strongly reflexed, tapering into a long bidentate 

 beak ; scale short lanceolate, usually invisibl 



Wet places and water holes. Common. June, July. 



