(SEDGE FAMILY.) 491 



Tumi VI CAK.ICEJE. Flowers monoecious in the same (androgynous) or in separata 

 spikes, or soniedir.es dioecious. Proper perianth none Acheniuui enclosed in a t>a< 

 (perigynium which answers to a bract.et or pair of bractk'te), lenticular or triangular. 



16 CAREX. Fertile flowers without a bristle-form hooked appondage projecting from tho sao 



1 CYPtRUS, L. GALINGALE. 



Spikes many - few-flowered, flat or rarely terete, variously arranged, mostly 

 in clusters or heads, which are commonly disposed in a simple or compound 

 terminal umbel. Scales 2-ranked ( their decurrent base often forming margins or 

 wings to the joint of the axis next below), deciduous when old. Stamens (1, 

 2, or mostly) 3. Perianth none. Style 2 -3-cleft, deciduous. Achenium len- 

 ticular or triangular, naked at the apex. Culms triangular, simple, leafy at 

 the base, and with one or more leaves at the summit forming an involucre to tho 

 umbel. Peduncles unequal, sheathed at the base. (KuTrei/aos, the ancient 

 name.) 



1. PYCRlSUS, Beauv. Style 2-cleft : achenium fattened: spikes fat, many- 

 flowered ; only the lowest scale empty. (Root of all our species Jibrous and appar- 

 ently annual.) 



1. C. flavsccns, L. Stamens 3; spikes becoming linear, obtuse, clus- 

 tered at the end of the 2-4 very short rays (peduncles) ; scales obtuse, straw- 

 yellow; achenium shiniity, orbicular. Low grounds, mostly near the coast. 

 Aug. Culms 4' -10' high: spikes 5" -8" long. Involucre 3-leaved, very 

 unequal. (Eu.) 



2. C. fiiiindillS* Torr. Stamens 2, or sometimes 3; spikes lance-oblong, 

 scattered or clustered on the 2-5 very short or unequal rays ; scales rather obtuse, 

 purple-brown on the margins or nearly all over; achenium dull, obloiiy-obovate : 

 otherwise much like the last. Var. CAST\NEUS, Torr. (C. castaneus, Biyel.\ 

 is only a form with browner scales. Low grounds ; common. Aug., Sept. 



3. C. ftultcsllai, Torr. Stamens 2; spikes lanco-linear, acute, very flat 

 ('-!' long), crowded on the few very short (or some of them distinct) rays; 

 scales oblong, yflhiuish-brown, rather loose ; achenium oblony-obovate, very blunt, dull. 



Salt or brackish marshes, Massachusetts to Virginia, and southward. Aug. 



Culms 4'- 12' high. C. minimus? Nutt., the C. Cleaveri, Tom, fc ed. 1, is 

 a depauperate condition of this, with a 1 -leaved involucre, and only ouo or two 

 spikes ! 



4. C. flavicomus, Michx. Stamens 3 ; spikes linear (4" - 8' long), 

 spiked and crowded on the whole length of tho branches of the sevei al-rayed 

 umbel, spreading ; Kales oml t very obtuse, yellowish and brownish, broadly scarious- 

 (whitish-) margined; acJienium ol>ovate, mucronate, blackish; culm stout (l-3 

 high); leaves of the involucre 3 - 5, very long. Low grounds, Virginia and 

 southward. July - Oct. 



t 2. PAPYRUS, Thouars. Sfyfc 3-clefl : achenium triangular: itamens 3: 

 tpike* many-ftowert.d, flattish : joints of the a.tis margined by a pair of mort or 

 let* free #ea/*. which rerrniin nfter tK& proper Ma't. faJh auxiy , otherwise as in $ 3. 



