212 CYPERACEAE (SEDGE FAMILY) 



t. Remnants of the old leaves persisting as stiff tufted 

 shreds ; scales acuminate, sharp-pointed, nearly 

 or quite equaling the perigynia, 

 Perigynia 1.7-2.4 mm. thick. 

 Beak nearly or quite as long as the body of the 



perigynium. 

 Perigynia puberulent ..... 98. C. urnbettata. 



Perigynia glabrous ..... (98) C. umbcllala. v. tonta. 



Beak one third as long as the body . (93) C. -umbellate, v. brevirostri*. 

 Perigynia 1.31.6 mm. thick ..... 94. C. nigro-maryinata. 



Ik. Remnants of old leaves soft, slightly if at all shredded ; 

 scales blunt or acute, much shorter than the 

 perigynia ........ 95. C. defl*3M. 



j. Culms elongate, none of them hidden at the base of the 



plant I. 

 I, Perigynia much exceeding the scales ; spikes closely 



approximate ........ 90. C. albicam. 



I. Perigynia nearly or quite equaled by the scales TO. 

 m. Mature leaves 35 mm. wide (if exceptionally nar- 



rower, the spikes remote) ..... 97. C. communit. 



m. Mature leaves 1-2.5 mm. wide (if exceptionally 



broader, the spikes approximate). 

 Staiuinate and pistillate spikes all sessile. 



Scales of pistillate spikes whitish or greenish . 98. C. varia. 

 Scales purplish ...... (98) C. varia, v. coloraia. 



Staminate and the lowermost pistillate spikes 



short-peduncled ...... 99. C. notae-anglia*. 



ff. Culms leafy, the leaves elongate n. 

 n. Pistillate spikes sessile or subsessile ; basal sheaths fibrillose. 



Staminate spike overtopping the pistillate .... 154. C. rt-stita. 



Staminate spike shorter than the pistillate . . . (154) C. vestita, v. Kennedyi. 

 n. Pistillate spikes (or at least the lower) distinctly peduncled ; 



sheaths not fibrillose. 

 Leaves soft, ribbon-like, dark green, the lower bract ex- 



ceeding the culm ; perigynia long-beaked . . . 150. C. scdbrata. 

 Leaves firm, short, glaucous ; the bracts short ; perigynia 



barely beaked ........ 108. C. glauca. 



. Perigynia glabrous o. 

 o. Leaves setaceous, basal ; culms setaceous, naked ; bracts reduced 



to pale tubular sheaths ........ 117. C. eburnea. 



o. Leaves flat or plicate p. 



p. Leaves lanceolate, 1.5-3 cm. broad, firm and evergreen ; culms 

 slender, bearing numerous tubular colored sheaths and 

 remote slender spikes ........ 121. C. plantaginta. 



p. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, less than 1 .5 cm. broad q. 

 q. Perigynia beakless or with minute entire beaks r. 

 r. Pistillate spikes mostly on capillary peduncles, wide-spread- 



ing or drooping . 

 . Scales brownish or purplish, nearly equaling or exceed- 



ing the compressed short-tipped perigvnia /. 

 t. Spikes globose to oblong-cylindric, rarely 2 cm. long; 



scales exceeding the perigynia . 

 u. Scales long-attenuate with subulate tips, much ex- 



ceeding the perigynia. 

 Scales dark brown or purplish throughout. 

 Pistillate spikes 4-8 mm. long .... 111. C. patiptrevla. 



Pistillate spikes 1-1.6 cm. long . . (Ill) C. paupercula, v. irrigua. 

 Scales green with pale-brown or yellowish margins 



(111) C. paupercula, \. patient. 



t*. Scales obtuse or acute, barely exceeding the perigynia. 

 Leaves Involute, 0.5-1 mm. wide, glaucous ; scales 



brown. ........ 112. C. Umota. 



Leaves flat, 1-3 mm. wide, dark green ; scales 



purple-black ....... 118. C. rariflora. 



t. Spikes linear-cylindric, 2-5 cm. long; scales barely 



equaling the perigynia ...... 114. C. liltoralis. 



t. Scales whitish, much shorter than the sharply trigonous 



attenuate perigynia ....... 115. C. pratina 



r. Pistillate spikes sessile or short-peduncled, erect . 

 u. Plant glaucous, loosely stoloniferous ; Staminate spikes 



long-stalked, their scales mostly purple-brown. 

 Leaves 2.5-5 mm. wide, revolute In drying, harsh; 



culms harsh ; perigynia brown . . " . . . 108. C. glaitca. 

 Leaves 1-3 mm. wide," becoming plicate or involute, 

 smooth ; culms smooth ; perigynia pale green or 

 whitish ......... 104. C.livida. 



9. Plant green, densely tufted ; Staminate spikes sessile or 

 short-stalked, their scales pale brown or straw 

 color. 



