CYPERACE^K. (SKDGE FAMILY.) 589 



*~ 4. CryptoearfXB. Lai-ge, with nodding or drooping large sjiikes, their dark scales very 

 loii^' liud conspicuous; stigmas 2. — 8p. 40, 41. 



^ 5. reiuiutiiuc. Distinguished from ■*- 4 by the smaller size, Hmalltr sjiikes, shejithlesa 

 bmcta, and whitish, more or less granulated, nearly pointless perigynium ; stigmas a. — 

 Sp, 42-45. 



• 4. ]Iyinenochlaent«. Perigynium mostly light green or whitish, usually thin and mem- 

 branous, ol'leii somewhat inflated or loosely investing the achene, icmmouly .smooth 

 and shining (hairy in n. 46, sometimes in n. 47), slender or olilong, attenuate to a dis- 

 tinct or long minutely toothed straight beak (or beaklcss or nearly so in t- 1 and n. o6); 

 pistillate spikes several or many, mostly loosely Howered and on tllHorm nodding or 

 widely s]>reading peduncles ; bracts leal-like; teiininal .spike staminate or androgynous ; 

 stigmas '6. Mostly rather tall and slender upland species. 



•♦- 1. Virescentes. Terminal spike pistillate at top ; pistillate spikes oblong or eylindricai, 

 dense, erect; perigynium ovate or obovato, ne-;irly or quite beakless, olten hairy. — JSp. 

 4G, 47. 



■»- 2. Sylvatiar, Terminal spike all staminate ; pistillate spikes mostly long-exserted, slen- 

 der; perigynium lew-nerved, contracted into a cylindrical beak which is longer than the 

 body. — tip. 48. 



■t- 3. Fl^les. Terminal spike all staminate; pistillate spikes rather thick (very small in 

 n. 50). more or less drooping; perigynium beaked, few-nerved or nerveless, tawny or 

 whitish. — «p. 49, 50. 



•t- 4. Delnles. Terminal spike all staminate (occasionally pistillate above in n. 53); pistil- 

 late spikes very narrow and slender, long-e.vserted and nodding, mostly very loosely 

 flowered; perigynium rather small, not turgid, prominently beaked. — Sp. 51-53. 



•4- 5. Gracillimoe. Terminal spike pistillate at top ; pistillate spikes habitually thicker than 

 in ••- 4 ; perigynium ovate-oblong, more or less turgid ; the beak short or none. — Sp. 

 54-57. 



■♦- 6. Grisecp. Terminal spike staminate ; perigynium more or less turgid or plump, often 

 glaucous, scarcely beaked, finely striate ; .spikes erect. — Sp. 5S, 59. 



• 5. Spirostachyje. Perigynium smooth or minutely granulated or rarely somewhat ser- 



rate on the margins, prominently nerved, mostly yellowish, squarrose, mostly beaked 

 (entirely beakless in n. 63), the orifice entire : staminate spike mostly single ; pistillate 

 spikes 2-5, short (usually 1' long or less), yellow or fuscous, compactly flowered ; stig- 

 mas 3. — Medium-sized species, growing in meadows and grassy swales. 



^ 1. Granulares. S]»ikes scattered, cylindrical, the lowest long-stalked ; bracts erect, long 

 and leafy ; sheaths short or nearly obsolete. — Sp. 60, 61. 



"*- 2. ExtensT. Spikes mostly approximate or aggregated at the top of the culm (becoming 

 remote in C extensa), the lowest 1 or 2 subtended by a long and leafy mo.stly abruptly 

 spreading and nearly or entirely sheathless bract. Terminal spike sometimes andro- 

 gynous. — Sp. 62. 



t- 3 Pnllesccntes. Spikes globular or short-oblong, obtuse, sessile or short-peduncled, ap- 

 proximate at the top of the culm ; bracts short, leaf-like, sheathless ; perigynium entire 

 at the orifice, the beak none or very short and .stout. — Sp. 6.1, 64. 



• 6. Drtctylostachyse. Perigynium mostly short nnd triangular, mostly with a short and 



straight or curved beak, green or greenish, scarcely inflated ; scales of the pistillate 

 sjiikes mostly whiti.sli (.sometimes dark-colored in the Digitntn'),r>Ttnn small; stjuninate 

 spike mostly one : pistillate spikes .sliort (sehlon) exceeding 1'), commonly rather loosely 

 flowered and slender fspike single and jdant dirpcious in n. S.I) : brnctfs sheathing, tlie 

 sheaths of en conspicuous and colored. — Low and lax or slender sy)ecies inhabiting 

 meadows and copses. 



■•- 1. OIiijncarp(r. Slender and narrow-leaved, with leafy bnicts and inconspicuous preen 

 sheaths; perigynium rounded on the angles, finely Jiiany-striate, often somewhat punc- 

 tulate as in n. 58, to which the group forms a transition. —Hy. 65-67. 



4- 2. iMriflorfr. Slender and more or less broad-leaved, with mostly leafy bracts, green or 

 purple sheaths, and loosely flowered sinkes : perigyninm mostly conspicuously three* 

 angled, with a more or less curved beak — Sp. 68-74. 



