61G CYPERACE^E. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 



* 11. -i- 4. Arenarice. 



C. AREN\RIA, Linn. Extensively creeping, 1 high or less ; leaves very 

 narrow and very long-pointed, shorter than the culm; head about 1' long, 

 dense or sometimes interrupted, ovoid or oblong ; spikes few to many, those 

 at the apex of the head usually staminate, the intermediate ones stamiuate at 

 the summit, the lowest entirely pistillate and subtended by a bract about V 

 long ; perigynium very strongly nerved on both faces, wing-margined above, 

 sharply long-toothed, about the length of the scale. Sea-beaches near Nor- 

 folk, Va. (Me Minn). (Adv. from Eu.) 



* 11. i- 5. Muhlenbergiance. 



H-C Heads narrow, the spikes scattered (or often aggregated in C. muricata.) 

 = Perigynium almost terete. 



109. C. tenella, Schkuhr. Exceedingly slender, 6'-2 high, in tufts; leaves 

 flat, soft, and weak, mostly shorter than the culm; spikes 1 - 3-flowered, or 

 the terminal 4 - 6-flowered, all distinct and scattered on the upper part of the 

 culm, the bracts obsolete or the lowest present and very short ; perigynium 

 elliptic-ovate, very plump, finely nerved, the minute beak entire, longer than 

 the white scale, usually at length splitting and exposing the blackish acheue. 

 Cold swamps, N. Eng. to Penn., and far westward; common. (Eu.) 



= = Perigynium flattish, 



110. C. rdsea, Schkuhr. Always slender and weak, erect, 1 - 2| high, 

 exceeding the narrow leaves; spikes 5-8, 6- 14-flowered, the upper 3-4 ag- 

 gregated, the others 3 - 9" apart, the lowest usually with a setaceous bract ; 

 perigyuium lance-ovate, thin and shining, nerveless, scarcely margined, rough 

 on the edges above, perfectly squarrose, very green, about twice longer than 

 the translucent white scale. Rich woods, N. Eng. to Minn, and Neb. ; fre- 

 quent. Var. RADIATA, Dewey. Lower and much more slender, the culms 

 sometimes almost capillary ; spikes 2 - 5, scattered, 2 - 4-flowered ; perigynium 

 mostly narrower and more ascending. Open places and drier woods ; common. 



Var. Texensis, Torr. Very slender but strict, 1 high or less; spikes 

 3-4, all contiguous or the lower ones approximate, 2 - 6-flowered ; perigynium 

 lanceolate, the base prominently spongy, smooth or nearly so, conspicuously 

 divaricate. Dry places, S. 111. (Schnerk), and southward. 



Var. retroflexa, Torr. Often rather stiff, 1 - 1| high ; spikes 4-8, the 

 upper ones aggregated, the lower 1 or 2 separated and commonly subtended 

 by a conspicuous bract, often brownish ; perigynium ovate, smooth through- 

 out, very prominently corky and swollen at the base, which is frequently con- 

 tracted almost to a stipe, at maturity usually widely spreading or re flexed ; scale 

 brownish and sharp, at length deciduous. (C. retroflexa, Muhl.) Copses, 

 throughout ; rare northward. 



111. C. sparganioides, Muhl. Stouter, stiff ; culm 2-3 high; leaves 

 very broad (usually ^' or more) and flat, their sheaths conspicuously clothing 

 the base of the culm ; spikes 6-10, the 2 or 3 upper ones contiguous, the remain- 

 der entirely separate, very green, oblong or short-cylindric, the lowest often 

 compound, all truncate at top ; perigynium ovate, wing-margined, rough on 

 the short beak, often obscurely nerved on the outer face, considerably longer 

 than the rough-pointed scale. Rich woods ; frequent. 



C. MURicATA, L. Culm 1-2 high, rough, longer than the narrow leaves; 

 spikes 5-10, variously disposed, but usually some of them scattered, frequently 



