CAREX KEY. SEDGE FAMILY. 357 



Culms phyllopodic, not strongly purplish tinged at base ; rootstocks very slender, deep- 

 seated. 

 Fertile culm blades usually 6-10, i l / 2 "-3^2" wide; perigynia more than i l / 2 " long; 



spikes oblong or linear-oblong. 113. C.Meadii. 



Fertile culm blades usually 3-5, i"-iJ4" wide; perigynia less than i l / 2 " long; spikes 



linear. 114. C.tetanica. 



Culms aphyllopodic, purplish at base; plants loosely stoloniferous. 115. C.colorata. 

 Perigynia beak straight, prominent, 1 A~V2 length of body. 



Culms phyllopodic ; lower sheaths not purplish ; pistillate spikes 2-3, spreading. 116. C. vaginata. 

 Culms aphyllopodic; lower sheaths purplish; pistillate spikes 1-2, erect. 117. C.polymorpha. 



33. LAXIFLORAE. 



1. Sheaths and base of culm strongly purplish ; staminate scales purplish. 



Leaf-blades of fertile culms rudimentary; perigynia 2J4" long or less. 118. C.plantaginea. 

 Leaf-blades of fertile culms developed ; perigynia 2^/4" long or more. 119. C. Careyana. 



2. Sheaths not purplish tinged, the base of culms but rarely so ; staminate scales never purplish. 



A. Perigynia acutely triangular, short tapering at base. 



Leaf-blades very smooth (except edges), the larger 6" wide or more, those of fertile culm 



much smaller than those of sterile ; perigynia smooth. 120. C. platyphylla. 



Leaf-blades hispidulous on veins, 5" wide or less ; those of fertile culm moderately smaller 



than those of sterile ; perigynia minutely roughened. 



Staminate spike sessile or nearly so; peduncles short, erect. 121. C. abscondita. 



Staminate spike usually strongly peduncled ; lower peduncles capillary. 



Perigynia short-beaked ; second bract and leaves usually exceeding culm ; blades 



1 1 /4 "-2 1 / 2 " wide, erect. 122. C. digitalis. 



Perigynia beakless or nearly so ; second bract and leaves usually exceeded by culm ; 

 blades 2"-4" wide, spreading. 123. C. laxicuhnis. 



B. Perigynia obtusely triangular, long tapering at base, smooth. 



Pistillate scales very truncate ; blades 7 I /2 l '-2o" wide ; culms very strongly flattened and wing- 

 margined. 124. C. albursina. 

 Pistillate scales acuminate to strongly cuspidate ; blades narrower. 



Spikes elongated, 8-2o-flowered, the lower normaHy on erect-stiff peduncles. 



Perigynia obovoid ; beak abruptly bent, minute ; sterile shoots developing conspicu- 

 ous culms. 

 Culms stout ; sheaths loose, the margins crisped ; staminate spike short-stalked or 



sessile. 125. C. blanda. 



Culms slender ; sheaths rather tight, the margins little if at all crisped ; staminate 



spike long or rarely short-stalked. 126. C. laxi flora. 



Perigynia obovoid or fusiform with straight or oblique conspicuous beak ; sterile shoots 



reduced to tufts of leaves. 



Culms slightly wing-angled, stout, densely cespitose ; basal leaves generally less 

 than i long, their sides not parallel; perigynia appressed-ascending. 



127. C. anceps. 

 Culms scarcely wing-angled, slender, often loosely cespitose ; basal leaves generally 



more than i long, their sides parallel; perigynia spreading-ascending. 



128. C.striatula. 

 Spikes short, s-io-flowered, the lower on capillary spreading or drooping peduncles. 



1 29. C. styloflexa. 



34. GRANULARES. 



Culms tufted ; bracts elongated, overtopping spikes ; staminate spike short-stalked. 



Basal leaves 2^ "-8" wide; lower bract not extending beyond upper spikes; perigynia narrowly 



obovoid. 1 30. C. Shriveri. 



Basal leaves i 1 /^"-^" wide; lower bract extending beyond upper spikes; perigynia elliptic 



obovoid. 131. C. granularis. 



Rootstocks long-creeping ; bracts short, rarely overtopping spikes ; staminate spikes long-stalked. 



132. C. Crawei. 



35. OLIGOCARPAE. 



Sheaths smooth; perigynia i^4"-2" long. 133. C.oligocarpa. 



Sheaths rough-pubescent; perigynia 2j4"-2^" long. 134. C.Hitchcockiana. 



36. GRISEAE.- 



Perigynia elliptic, 54" wide; leaves 2" wide or less; bract sheaths rough and peduncles very rough. 

 Culms 2 l /2' high or less, much exceeded by leaves; staminate spike nearly sessile. 



135- C. katahdinensis. 



Culms 6'-36' high, exceeding leaves or shorter; staminate spike long-stalked. 136. C. conoidea. 

 Perigynia oblong, i" wide; leaves i l /2"-3 l /2" wide; bract sheaths smooth and peduncles nearly so. 

 Leaves not glaucous; larger spikes less than i2-flowered; lower scales usually equalling peri- 

 gynia. 

 Leaves i"-2" wide, erect; spikes widely scattered, the lower nearly basal; perigynia little 



turgid. 137. C. amphibola. 



Leaves 2" -3" wide, spreading ; lower spikes not nearly basal ; perigynia turgid. 138. C. grisea. 

 Leaves glaucous; larger spikes more than i2-flowered; lower scales shorter than perigynia. 

 Perigynia ij4"-a" long, somewhat exceeding scales. 139. C.glaucodea. 



Perigynia 2^4 "-3" long, 2-3 times exceeding scales. 140. C.flaccosperma. 



37. GRACILLIMAE. 



Plant glabrous; perigynia i?4" long or less. 



Perigynia rounded at apex, beakless. 141. C. gracilliina. 



Perigynia sharp-pointed at apex, short-beaked. 142. C.prasina. 



Sheaths and often foliage pubescent. 



Scales except lowest obtuse or acute: spikes all gynaecandrous. 143. C.formosa. 



Scales acuminate to cuspidate ; lateral spikes pistillate. 

 Bracts strongly sheathing; leaves i l /2 "-2" wide. 



