602 CYPERACEiE, ( SEDGE FAMILY.) 



* 3. — -t- 5, Penduhnce. 

 ++ Spikes narrowly cylindrical. 



42. C. littoralis, Schwein. Somewhat slender but erect, 1-2° high-, 

 leaves narrow and rather stiff, flat, glaucous, shorter than the sharp and nearly 

 smooth culm ; staminate spikes 1-3, dark purple, 1 h,' long or less, the scales 

 obtuse ; pistillate spikes 2-4, somewhat approximate, on thread-like pedun- 

 cles, 1-2' long, usually staminate at top; perigyuium lance-oval, faintly 

 nerved, the minute beak entire, mostly longer than the obtuse purple scale; 

 bracts prominently purple-auricled. (C. Barrattii, Schwein. ^^ Torr.) — 

 Marshes near the coast, N. J. and southward ; rare. 



■*H- ++ Spikes globular or oblong. 

 = Scales very sharp, prominently longer than the perigynium. 



43. C. Magellanica, Lam. Slender but erect, 8-18' high; leaves flat 

 and lax, somewhat shorter than the culm ; lowest bract as wide as tlie leaves 

 or nearly so and exceeding the culm ; spikes 2-3, approximate, all slenderly 

 stalked and drooping ; perigyuium orbicular or broad-ovate, nen-ed in tlie 

 centre, ^-f the length of the scale. (C. irrigua, Smith.) — Deep swamps, 

 throughout, north of Penn. ; local. (Eu.) 



= = Scales blunt, little exceeding the perigyninm. 



44. C. rariflora, Smith. Very small but stiff, 4 - 10' high, someAvhat 

 stoloniferous ; culm obtuse and very smooth ; leaves very narrow, becoming 

 involute, shorter than tlie culm; spikes 1-2, only 3- lO-flowered, drooping, 

 borne in the axil of a minute awl-like and purple-auricled bract ; perigyuium 

 ovate, nearly pointless, obscurely nerved, mostly a little shorter than the en- 

 veloping scale. — Mt. Katahdin, Maine (Goodale). (Eu.) 



45. C. limbsa, L. Slender but rather stiff, 1-2^ l"gli, stoloniferous ; 

 culm sharp, rough above ; leaves very narrow, strongly keeled or involute ; 

 spikes 1 -2, nodding on short stalks or the upper one erect, oblong, springing 

 from the axil of a very narrow bract which is nearh' always shorter than the 

 culm ; perigyuium very short-pointed, about the length of the broad scale. — 

 Deep swamps, throughout, north of Penn. ; local. (Eu.) 



* 4. Htmenochl^n.e. — •*- 1. llrescejites. 



46. C. virescens, Muhl. Slender, erect or spreading, 1 - H° high; 

 leaves very narrow, more or less hair^' ; spikes 3-5, green, short-oblong, all 

 somewhat stalked and often spreading, compact (iV' thick or less) ; perigyu- 

 ium ovate and costate, very hairy, longer tlian the thin and white acute scale. 

 — Var. costIta, Dewey, usually the commoner form, is taller (often reach- 

 ing 2^°), with spikes long-cylindric, i-2' long, and a stronger ribbed perigyn- 

 inm. — Banks and copses, N . Eng. to Mich., and southward ; common eastward. 



47. C. triceps, Michx., var. hirsuta, Bailey. Usually stiffer ; leaves 

 hairy; spikes 2-4 (usually 3), all contiguous or occasionally the lowest some- 

 what removed, sessile, short-oblong or globular, green or brown (2 - 3" thick) ; 

 perigyuium broad-ovate, flattish, very obtuse, often sparsely hirsute when 

 young but smooth at maturity ; staminate scales very sharp ; pistillate scales 

 acute or short-awned, about the length of or shorter than the perigyuium. — 

 Dry copses and fields, N. Eng. to Mo., and southward ; rare northward. — Var. 



