518 CYrrcRACK^E. (sedge family.) 



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. erecta, Dew. ?) 

 — Wet meadows, Rhode Island (O/ney), and far westward. — Culm l°-2° high, 

 with commonly 2 fertile spikes |'-1^' in length, appearing somewhat bristly 

 from the long and spreading scale. Differs from the next chiefly in the rounder 

 perigynium and nearly smooth culm, and should perhaps be referred to it. 



46. C stricta., Lam. (not of Good.) Sterile 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. Sf Amer. auth., not of L. C. Virginiana, Smith in Bees, Oycl. C. angus- 

 tata, Boott.) — Var. steictiok has shorter and more densely flowered fertile 

 spikes, and perigynia equalling or somewhat exceeding the scale. (C. stric- 

 tior, Dew.) — Wet meadows and swamps; very common. Grows in large and 

 thick tufts, 2°-2^° 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 has not been found in North 

 America. 



47. C. a<pi:tfilis, 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, I -2 of the lowest exceeding the culm ; perigynia obovate-elliptical, stalked, nerve- 

 less, with a very short entire point about the length of the lanceolate scale ; culm 

 sharply triangular, rough towards the top, not much exceeding the pale-green 

 glaucous leaves. — Margins of lakes and rivers, New England to Wisconsin, and 

 northward. — A rather robust species 2° - 3° high ; the thick fertile spikes l'-2' 

 long. (Eu.) 



48. C l<'5i3ica8!i\;E - is, Michx. Sterile spike single and mostly fertile at the 

 top ; the fertile 2-5, erect, cylindrical (J'-l' long), sessile, or the lower short- 

 peduncied, densely-flowered ; bracts exceeding the culm ; perigynia ovate-oval, 

 sessile, more or less nerved, abruptly short-pointed, the point entire, slightly ex- 

 ceeding the oblong and very obtuse scale ; culm (9' - 15' high) and leaves smooth 

 or nearly so. — Lake Avalanche, N. New York (Torrey), Lake Superior, and 

 northward. 



++ ++ Scales owned. 



49. C. saliaca, Wahl. Sterile spikes 2-3; the fertile 2-4, cylindrical, 

 erect, often sterile at the apex, on more or less included staiks ; bracts long, with 

 rounded auricles, the two lowest commonly exceeding the culm; perigynia ovale- 

 elliptical, with a minute entire point, nerveless, rather shorted than the roughly- 

 atoned dark-brown scale; culm rough at the top, rather exceeding the leaves. — 

 Coast of Massachusetts (Greene, IF 7 ". Boott), and far northward. (Eu.) 



50. C. HBaritillia, Vahl. Sterile and fertile spikes each about 2 or 3 

 (1' long), spreading or drooping on slender peduncles; perigynia marly orbicular. 



