66 



CYPERACEAE. 



Spikclets with scales spirally arranged and over- 

 lapping all around. 

 Spikclets 1-4-flowered, some of the flowers 



imperfect. 

 Spikclets with several-many perfect flowers. 

 Style swollen at the base, persistent on 



the akene. 

 Style not swollen at the base, deciduous. 

 Spikclets 1-many; bristles 1-6, short, 



rarelj' none. 

 Spikelcts 1 or a few; bristles 6-many, 

 soft, smooth, very long, slender, 

 much e.xserted. 



97. Rynchospora, 82. 



98. Eleocharis, 82. 



99. SciRPUS, 83. 



100. Eriophorum, 84. 



94. CAREX. Sedge. 



Grass-like plants, perennial by rootstocks; stems mostly 

 triangular; leaves 3-ranked, the upper (bracts) elongated or very 

 short and subtending the spikes of flowers, or wanting; flowers 

 solitary in the axils of bracts (scales), monoecious or dioecious; 

 spikes either wholly staminate, or pistillate, or sometimes 

 androgynous; perianth none; staminate flowers of 3 stamens; 

 pistillate flower of a single pistil with a style and 2-3 stigmas 

 borne in the axil of a second bract (the perigynium) which com- 

 pletely encloses the akene; akene 3-angled, lenticular or plano- 

 convex. 



Key To Sections. 



Spikes solitary, terminal. 

 Spikes several. 



Spikes all alike. 



Spikes of two sorts. 



I. Primocarex. 



II. ViGNEA. 



III. Eucarex. 



Section I. Primocarex. 



Spike solitary, terminal. 



Perig^'nia pubescent; plant dioecious. 

 Perigynia glabrous; plant not dioecious. 



Spike ovoid, brown; perigynia thin and inflated. 



Perigynia 6-7 mm. long, much exceeding the scales; 



stems longer than the leaves. 

 Perigynia 5 mm. long, slightly exceeding the scales; 

 stems shorter than the leaves. 

 Spike not ovoid nor brown; perig\-nia not bladder-like. 

 Perigynia reflexed when fully mature, fusiform, 

 beaked, stipitate at base. 

 Perigynia few, 3-5; scales pale. 

 Perigynia more numerous; scales colored. 



Scales dark purple; spikes 8-10 mm. thick; 



leaves flat, 3-4 mm. wide. 

 Scales brownish; spikes 3-4 mm. thick; 

 leaves involute, 2 mm. wide. 

 Perigynia not becoming reflexed; not stipitate (ex- 

 cept C. circinata). 



C. stenochlaena. 



C. breweri. 

 C. paddoensis. 



C. pauciflora. 



C. nigricans. 

 C. pyrenaica. 



