CXTERACEJE. (SEDGE FAMILY.) -519 



with a short entire point, much shorter than the long-awned greenish scale; culm 

 (1 high) and the broad flat leaves smooth. (C. paleacea, Wahl.) Coast of 

 Massachusetts and northward ; rare. (Eu.) 



51. C. criuiia, Lam. Sterile spikes 1-2, often with fertile flowers various- 

 ly intermixed ; the fertile 3-5, long-cylindrical (2' -3' long), densely 'flowered, on 

 exsertcd nodding stalks ; bracts very long, exceeding the culm ; peariytpria roundish- 

 obovate, slightly inflated, obscurely nerved, with a short entire point, shorter than 

 the oblong roughly-owned light-brown scale; culm (2 -4 high) rough and sharp'}/ 

 angled, leafy below; the pale leaves 3" -4" wide, also rough-edged. Varies 

 with the awns of the scales very long and the fruit imperfect (var. MOKIIIDA, 

 Carey in Sill. Jour. & C. paleacea, Amer. auth. } not of \Vahl.} ; and with awns 

 not much longer than the scales (C. gynandra, Schw.). Wet meadows and 

 borders of rills; very common. A variable but easily recognized species. 

 -- - Stigmas 3 : perigynium obtusely triangular, indistinctly few-nerved, more 



or less compressed : pistillate spikes borne on exserted filiform drooping stalks. 



52. .C. fistcca, Schreb. Sterile spikes 1 -2 ; the fertile about 3, cylindrical, 

 On exserted drooping stalks, commonly staminate at the top; lower bract .usually 

 shorter than the culm ; sheaths obsolete or minute ; perigynia roundish-ovoid, 

 notched at the point, smooth or slightly roughened on tlie angles, about the length of 

 the obtuse or pointed black scale; culm sharply triangular, rough, taller than the 

 glaucous rigid leaves. (C. glauca, Scop. C. recurva, Iluds. C. Barrattii, 

 Schw. $ Ton:) Marshes of New Jersey, near the coast, Collins, Knieskern. 

 A widely variable species. (Eu.) 



53. C. lilllOSa, L. Staminate spike solitary ; the fertile 1 -2, oblong, 10- 

 ZO-flowered, occasionally with staminate flowers at the apex ; bracts very narrow, 

 tJie lowest shorter than the culm ; perigynia ovate, with a minute entire point, about 

 equal to the ovate muci'onate scale. Peat-bogs, New England to Pennsylvania, 

 Wisconsin, and northward. Culm 6'-12 ; high, erect, longer than the sharp 

 and rigid leaves. (Eu.) 



51. C. irr^gim, Smith. Staminate spike solitary; the fertile 2-4, ovoid 

 or oblong, occasionally staminate at the apex, or rarely with a few sterile flowers 

 at the base ; lowest bract as wide as the leaves, longer than the culm ; perigynia 

 roundish-ovate., with an entire orifice, ?nuch shorter than the tapering pointed scale. 

 (C. limosa, var. irrigua, Wahl. C. paupercula, Miclix.) Peat-bogs, New Eng- 

 land to Penn., Wisconsin, and northward. Taller than the last, growing in 

 clumps, wkh weaker nodding stems, often exceeded by the leaves. (Eu.) 

 # * Uppermost spike club-shaped, pistillate above and staminate at the base ; tlie rest 



all fertile, or with a few sterile flowers below : lowest bract leaf-like, scarcely 



equalling the culm, with minute light-brown auricles and no sheaths : culm 



and leaves of a pale glaucous-green. ATRAT^E.^ 



55. C. Blixbaiitilii, Wahl. Spites 3-4, obovoid or oblong, the uppermost 

 short-stalked (rarely altogether staminate), the others nearly sessile, the lowest some 



* C. VAHLII, So,hk , of lAs group, occurs on the north shore of Lake Superior and on Isle 

 Royale, bat has not yet been mot with on the United States side. 



