474 Key to the System of 



2008. Terminal spikelet only staminate towards the base. 



Alpine, hardly tall ; leaves broadish-linear ; edges of the 

 leaf -stalks fibrous-reticularly held together; lowest floral 

 leaf rather conspicuous ; spikelets few, distinct but 

 approximated, almost ellipsoid or short- cylindrical, sessile 

 or the lowest slightly stalked, the terminal one broader, 

 with pistillate flowers from below the middle to the sum- 

 mit, the other spikelets entirely pistillate; floral bracts 

 very small, much pointed, dark-brown with green mid- 

 line ; fruit-cover greenish, trigonous-ellipsoid, blunt, 

 venular-streaked ; fruit trigonous-obovate, dotted. 



C. Buxbaumii, 



Terminal spikelet entirely staminate ... .. 2009 



2009. Contracted apex of the fruit-cover quite short. 



Rather tall ; stems slender ; leaves broadish-linear, the 

 floral leaves elongated ; spikelets few, distinct but mostly 

 approximated, rather short, the terminal one entirely 

 staminate, the others pistillate, the lowest often stalked 

 and sometimes distant ; floral bracts narrow, finely 

 pointed, to some extent colorless ; fruit-cover dark- 

 colored, strongly streaked, ovate-globular, bidenticular- 

 pointed. C. Brownii. 



Contracted apex of the fruit-cover rather long ... 2010 



2010. Fruit-cover of thick texture. 



Widely creeping, rather dwarf ; stems faintly angular ; 

 leaves rather long, broad-linear, much pointed ; the 

 floral leaves also elongated ; spikelets few or several, 

 distinct, the two or three upper approximated, slender 

 and entirely staminate ; the lower spikelets stout, mostly 

 ovate-cylindrical, almost entirely pistillate, somewhat re- 

 mote ; floral bracts dark- colored but pale towards the 

 margin, pointed ; fruit-cover comparatively large, ovate- 

 ellipsoid, narrowed into a conspicuously bidenticular 

 apex ; fruit dark-brown. C> pumila. 



Fruit-cover of thin texture ... ... ... ... 2011 



2011. Fruit-cover usually beset with very minute hairlets. 



Often dwarf ; leaves broadish-linear ; principal floral leaves 

 generally elongated ; spikelets few or occasionally two, 

 distinct, short-cylindrical, the terminal one more slender 

 and entirely staminate, the others pistillate or staminate 

 at and towards their upper end ; floral bracts mostly fine- 

 pointed ; fruit-cover trigonous-ovate, attenuated towards 

 the summit, venular-streaked. C. breviculniis. 



