458 Key to the System of 



1945. Spikelets in an elongated much contracted panicle. 



Stems leafless, quite flat or slightly convex on one side, 

 sharp-edged ; leaves rather long, broad-linear ; panicle 

 much exceeding the lowest floral leaf; spikelets closely 

 approximated but hardly clustered, narrow-ellipsoid, 

 somewhat pointed ; rudimentary sepals and petals often 

 longer than the fruit. L. late rale. 



Spikelets in a short somewhat spreading panicle. 



Stems leafless, almost flat or slightly convex on one side, 

 sharp-edged ; leaves rather long, broad-linear ; panicle 

 rather dense, often only slightly exceeding the last floral 

 leaf or even shorter ; spikelets narrow-ellipsoid, some- 

 what pointed ; rudimentary sepals and petals often 

 longer than the fruit. L. concavum. 



1946. Leaves almost flat. 



Stems leafless, very narrow, considerably compressed, 

 dwarfed in the alps ; leaves broad-linear ; panicle quite 

 short, often exceeded by the lowest floral leaf ; spikelets 

 small, narrow- ellipsoid, pointed, exceptionally reduced to 

 two. L. lineare. 



Leaves nearly filiform-cylindrical or almost unde- 

 veloped ... ...... 1947 



1947. Spikelets large, crowded into a single fascicular 



cluster. 



Stems leafless, filiform-cylindrical, usually grooved on one 

 side ; leaves similar to the stems but shorter ; floral leaves 



bract-like, hardly surpassing the spikelets, dark-colored ; 

 fruit globular-ovate, longer than the rudimentary sepals 

 and petals. Figure 125. L. carphoides. 



Spikelets small, arranged in a panicle ... 1948 



1948. Panicle much twisted, spike-like. 



Alpine ; stems leafless, very thin, compressed-cylindrical, 

 furrowed ; leaves somewhat angular and compressed, 

 slightly rough ; panicle very short, often reduced to three 

 or two or even one spikelet and somewhat bent down- 

 ward ; rudimentary sepals and petals about half as long 

 as the fruit. 1. tortuosnm. 



