CYPERACE^. (SEDCiK FAMILY.) 610 



Var. polystachya, Boott. Erect and mostly strict, not glaucous, 1^ - 2^^ 

 high, soiireely LiilLtd ; leaves very lax and ext;eediug the culm ; si)ike8 oblong, 

 more or less aggregated iu au ohlong interrupted head, the lowest 1 or 2 sub- 

 tended by short scale-like bracts; perigyniuin somewhat spn.'ading. (C. arcta, 

 Boott.) Low woods, N. New Kng. to N'. Minn, ; rare. IvLsenibles C echinat;i, 

 var. cephalantha. 



120. C. Norvegica, Willd. Low and stiff, but rather slender, 1° high 

 or less; leaves very narrow, mostly shorter than the culm ; spikes 3-5, some- 

 what scattered, brown, globular or oblong, compactly many-tlowered, the 

 terminal one long-contracted below with the staminate Howers; perigynium 

 very short-ovate, thick, the beak rough, a little longer than the very obtuse 

 S ule. — Salt marshes, Maine, and northward, rare. (Hu.) 



12L C. tenuiflbra, Wahl. Very slender and diffuse, l-I^^^ 'I'g'', i« 

 tufts; leaves very narrow and lax, shorter than the tiliform culm; spikes 2- 

 4, all loosely few-Howered and silvery-green, and aggregated into a small 

 globular head ; perigynium elliptic, obscurely nerved, smooth, beakless, spread- 

 ing, about the length of the white thin scale. — Bogs, N. isevv Lug. to N. 

 Minn. ; local. (Eu.) 



b. Bracts much prolonged, the lowest 2-3' long. 



122. C. trisperma, Dewey. (PI. G, fig. 1-5.) Exceedingly slender, in 

 small and loose tufcs, the weak reclining culms 1-2° long; leaves soft and 

 narrow, shorter than the culm; spikes 2-3, 1 -3' apart, silvery -green, 2-3- 

 fiowered ; perigynium very thin, finely nerved, the beak entire or nearlv so ; 

 scale acute, very thin, usually shorter than the perigynium. — Cold bog.s, 

 throughout; common northward. 



= = Pen'gi/niiim ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate. 



123. C. Deweyana, Schwein. Weak, 1-1^° high ; leaves flat and soft, 

 shorter than the culm, yellowish-green ; spikes 3-G, mostly oblong or some- 

 times but 2-3-flowered, loose, the upper ones contiguous but the lower 1 or 2 

 usually considerably separated on the zigzag rhachis and mostly subtended 

 by a bract, all silvery-green ; perigynium ovate-lanceolate or narrower, verv 

 thin in texture, nerveless, somewhat thickened l>elow on the outer face, the 

 long beak rough; scale very thin, acute or cuspidate, about the length of the 

 perigynium. — Dry woods; common. 



124. C. bromoides, Schkuhr. Lax, 1-2° high, in dense stools; leaves 

 very narrow^ about as long as the culm; staminate flowers variously situated 

 in the head, sometimes a few spikes wholly sterile, rarely the plants dioecious ; 

 spikes 3-G, o]»long or short-cylindric, erect, silvery -tawny or brown ; peri- 

 gynium linear-lanceolate, firm esjjecially at the ba.se, i)rominently nerved, the 

 long and roughened beak toothed ; scale sharp, shorter than the perig)-uium. 

 — Open bogs ; common. 



* 12. — -»- 2. OvMcs. 



++ Perigijninni ovate-lanceolate, with winged margins. 



125. C. Sicc^ta, Dewey. Extensively creeping, 1 - 2° high, erect ; leaves 

 firm, narrow, about the length of the culm; staminate flowers variously situ- 

 ated, usually some of the spikes wholly sterile; spikes 3-5, aggregated or 

 separated, ovoid or short-oblong, silvery-browu ; perigynium firm, nerved uu 



