CYPERACE.*:. (sedge FAMILY.) 615 



less) ; peri<^vuium very small, ovate and truncate below, bearing a few incon- 

 spicuous sliort nerves on the outer side, stipitate, firm and at maturity blackish 

 and shining, the short beak lighter colored ; scale chaffy and acute, about the 

 length of the perigynium. — Swales, N. Eng. to Penn., and westward ; common. 

 (Eu.) — Var. raim6sa, Boott. More slender; head mostly longer, the upper 

 portion often somewhat nodding, the spikes scattered and the lowest ones 

 often slightly compound. N. Y., and westward ; common. 



= = Leaves broader and Jiat {occasionally involute in n. 106). 



a. Scales very sharp, mostly rough-tipped. 



1. Perigynium large (2" long or more), nerveless on the imier face. 



105. C. alopecoidea, Tuckerm. Stout but rather soft, 2-3° high; 

 culm ratlier sharp, thick and soft in texture; leaves 2-3" wide, about the 

 length of the culm, very green; head 1^' long or less, sometimes green, and 

 occasionally a little compound, the spikes many and compactly or somewhat 

 loosely disposed or the lowest often separate and all mostly short-oblong; 

 perigynium ovate, tapering into a rough beak, very prominently stipitate, 

 with a few brown nerves on the outer face, ascending, about equalling or a 

 little exceeding the scale. — Open swales, N. Y., Penn., and Mich.; local. In 

 aspect like n. 101. 



Var. sparsispic^ta, Dewey. Weak, the leaves much narrower and lax ; 

 head 1 - 3' long and linear or nearly so, the spikes smaller and separated or 

 scattered. — S. E. Mich. (Cooley, Clark); little known. 



108. C. gravida, Bailey. Lower and the culm thinner and more sharply 

 angled, 1-2° high ; leaves rather narrower and firmer, shorter than the culm ; 

 head short, always simple, globular or short-oblong, the lowest spikes rarely 

 distinct ; spikes few (4 - 7 ), globular, or broader than long ; perigynium broadly 

 ovate, nearly twice larger, sessile, plump and somewhat polished at maturitv, 

 prominently spreading. — N. 111. to Iowa and Neb. — Var. laxif6lia, Bailoy. 

 Much larger, 2-3^° high; leaves broader (about j') and lax; head large ami 

 dense, ovoid or oblong, scarcely interrupted. N. 111. to Dak. 



2. Perigynium very S7nall, mostly nerved on the inner face. 



107. C. VUlpinoidea, Michx. Mostly rather stiff, 1-2^° high; culm 

 very rough, at least above ; leaves various, mostly flat and longer than the 

 culm; head 1-4' long, usually much interrupted and frequently somewhat 

 compound, varying from dull brown to almost green at maturity, commonly 

 provided with many very setaceous short bracts ; spikes very numerous, as- 

 cending and densely flowered ; perigynium ovate or lance-ovate, mostly ascend- 

 ing. — Low places, variable ; very abundant, especially northward. 



b. Scales Idunt, smooth and hyaline-tipped. 



108. C. SartW^llii, Dewey. Stiff and strict, li-2i<^high; leaves pro- 

 duced into a long slender point, mostly shorter than the culm ; staminate 

 flowers variously disposed, frequently whole spikes being sterile; head 1 -3' 

 long and rather narrow, the individual spikes usually clearly defined, or occa- 

 sionally the head interrupted below, tawny-brown ; perigynium elliptic or 

 lance-elliptic, nerved on both sides, very gradually contracted into a short 

 beak; scale ab^ut the length of the perigynium. (C. di.sticha, last ed.) — 

 Bogs, central N. Y., west and northward ; frequent. 



