514 CTPERACEjE. (sedge family.) 



pressed leaves; spikes aggregated into an ovoid head; perigynia ovate, a little 

 longer than the scale.— Cold peat-bogs, New York to Wisconsin, and north- 

 ward. (Eu.) 



28. C. feBSi'B2a, Schk. Spikes 2-4, very small, remote, with commonly 2 

 fertile flowers ; perigynia ovate,. twice as long as the scale. (C. loliatea, Schk. 

 supp., not of L. C. disperma, Dew. C. gracilis, ed. l, not of Ehrh.) — Cold 

 swamps, New England to Penn., Wisconsin, and northward. — A slender spe- 

 cies, C-12' high, with long grassy leaves, growing in tufts. (Eu.) 



§ 3. Spikes pistillate above, staminate at the base. 



■*■ Spikes roundish-ovoid, rather small, more or less distant on the zigzag axis (closely 

 aggregated in No. 30) : perigynia plano-convex, smooth, pale preen, becoming 

 whitish or silvery: scales white ami membranaceous; the bracts resembling 

 them, or prolonged and bristle-shaped. — Canescjgxxes. 



■*- Perigynia somewhat thickened and leathery, distinctly nerved, with a smooth or mi- 

 nutely serrulate short point, entire or slightly notched at the apex. 



29. C. trispt'B'S-SBK, Dew. Spikes 2-3, very small, with about 3 fertile 

 flowers, remote, the lowest with a long bract ; perigynia oblong, with numerous 

 slender nerves, longer than the scale. — Cold swamps and woods, especially on 

 mountains, New England to Pennsylvania, Michigan, and northward. — Ee- 

 sembling the last, but with larger spikes and fruit, and weak spreading culms, 

 l°-2° long. 



30. C tCBlHil9l>I'S3, Wahl. Spikes 3, few-flowered, closely approximated ; 

 perigynia ovate-oblong, about the length of the broadly ovate scale. — Cold swamps, 

 N. New England to Wisconsin, and northward. (Eu.) 



31. C. CSaaaessCCBSS, L. (in part). Pale or glaucous; spikes 5-7 (about 

 12 - 20-flowered) , the 2-3 upper approximated, the rest all distinct and the lower- 

 most remote; perigynia ovate, about the length of the pointed scale. (C. curta, 

 Good. C. Bicharili, Michx.) — Marshes and wet meadows ; common, especially 

 northward. (Eu.) 



Var. vafiiSitf is a more slender and weak form, not glaucous, with smaller 

 and roundish 6 - 15-flowered spikes, the more pointed perigynia spreading (and 

 often tawny) at maturity: perhaps a good species. (Var. alpicola and var. 

 sphaerostachya, ed. I. C. tcnella, Ehrh. C. Persoonii, Sieber. C. vitilis, Fries. 

 C. Gebhardi, Hoppe. C. splnxrostachya and C. Buckleyi, Dew.) — On moun- 

 tains, and high northward. (Eu.) 



•*- -i- Perigynia thickened only at the base, obscurely nerved on the outer side, tapering 



into a rough 2-toothed beak. 



32. C. DcwcyAna, Schw. Spikes about 4 ; the 2 uppermost approxi- 

 mate, the others listinct, the lowest long-bracted ; perigynia oblong-lanceolate, 

 rather longer than the sharply pointed or awned scale. — Copses, New England 

 to Wisconsin, and northward. See Addend. 



* * Spikes ovoid or obovoid. more or less clustered ; perigynia concave-convex, com- 

 pressed, marginal or winged, nerved, with a rough 2-toothed beak, often tawny 

 at maturity : scales tawny or white, awnless : bracts bristle-shaped, usually 

 falling before the maturity of the spikes (in No. 34 persistent, very long and 

 leaf-like.) 



