CYPERACF^E. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 535 



12. C. canescens, L, var. vitilis, Carey. Spikes 5-7, small, scat- 

 tered, roundish, 6 - 10-flowered; perigynia ovate, plano-convex, short and rough- 

 beaked, spreading and tawny at maturity, rather longer than the ovate acute 

 white scale. (C. sphaerostachya, Dew.) High mountains of North Carolina, 

 and northward. Culms weak and slender, 10' - 15' high, longer than the nar- 

 row and tender leaves. 



13. C. SCOparia, Schk. Spikes 6-8, approximate, ovate or oblong, many- 

 flowered ; perigynia oblong-lanceolate, narrowly margined, acute at the base, ta- 

 pering into a long 2-cleft rough beak, longer than the ovate-lanceolate pointed 

 scale, turning light brown at maturity. Swamps, South Carolina, and north- 

 ward. Culms 1 2 high, rough above, longer than the narrow leaves. 



Var. lagOpod.ioid.es. Spikes 10-15, obovoid ; perigynia lanceolate, re- 

 maining pale green at maturity, nearly twice as long as the rather obtuse scale. 

 (C. lagopodioides, Schk.) Mountains of North Carolina, and northward. 

 Culms commonly taller than the preceding. 



14. C. Straminea, Schk. Spikes 3-6, distinct, ovoid; perigynia ovate 

 or round-ovate, broadly winged, abruptly narrowed into a short 2-cleft beak, 

 somewhat tawny and spreading at maturity, longer than the ovate -lanceolate 

 scale. 



Var. festucacea. Spikes 6-8, pale, obovoid or somewhat club-shaped, 

 scattered ; perigynia ovate, less broadly margined, tapering into a more slender 

 beak, erect and pale green at maturity. (C. festucacea, Schk. C. fcenea, Torr., 

 Sfc., a form with more rigid culms, and more crowded and glaucous spikes.) 

 Swamps, verv common. Culms l-2 high. Leaves narrowly linear, shorter 

 than the culm. 



15. C. foenea, Muhl. Spikes 6-10, large (6" -8" long), ovoid, approxi- 

 mate ; perigynia flat, broadly obovate, wing-margined, abruptly contracted into a 

 very short beak, longer than the lanceolate scale; nut oval, stalked. (C.' alata, 

 Torr. ) Marshes, Florida to North Carolina. Culms 2 - 3 high, leafy below 

 the middle. Spikes brownish at maturity. Perigynia 2^" long. 



B. Terminal spikes sterile: the others fertile or with few sterile flowers at the summit: 



perigynia beakless. 



* Scales awnless, black or brown : bracts scarcely exceeding the culm : leaves narrowly 

 linear, glaucous. 



16. C. torta, Boott. Sterile spike solitary, peduncled ; fertile spikes mostly 

 3, linear-club-shaped, loosely flowered below, spreading, the lowest peduncled ; 

 perigynia elliptical, tapering and at length spreading or recurved at the apex, 

 nerveless or nearly so, as long as the oblong black scale ; culms smooth (1 high) ; , 

 leaves narrowly linear. (C. verrucosa, Schw., not of Ell.) Mountain swamps, 

 North Carolina, and northward. 



17. C. Stricta, Good. Sterile spikes 1 - 2 ; fertile spikes 2-4, linear-cylin- 

 drical, sessile or the lowest short-peduncled, erect, dense-flowered; perigynia 

 elliptical, erect, nerveless, commonly shorter than the narrow obtuse reddish- 

 brown scale ; culms (2 high) rough-angled ; leaves linear. (C. acuta, Ell., $-c., 

 not of Linrueus.) Swamps in the upper districts, and northward. 



