212 



CYPERACEAE (SEDGE FAMILY) 



k. Remnants of the old leaves persisting as stiff tufted 

 ehreds ; scales acuminate, sharp-pointed, nearly 

 or quite equaling ttie perigynia. 

 Perigynia 1.7-2.4 mm. thick. 

 Beak nearly or quite as long as the body of the 

 perigyniura. 

 Perigynia puberulent . . . . . 9B. C. umbellata. 



Perigynia glabrous (93) G. umbellata, v. tonsa. 



Beak one third as long as the body . (93) C. umbellata, v. brevirostris. 



Perigynia 1.3-1.6 mm. thick 9i. 0. nigro-marginata. 



k. Remnants of old leaves soft, slightly if at all shredded ; 

 scales blunt or acute, much shorter than the 



perigynia 95. C deflexa. 



^. Culms elongate, none of them hidden at the base of the 

 plant I. 

 I, Perigynia much exceeding the scales ; spikes closely 



approximate 96. (7. albicans. 



I. Perigynia nearly or quite equaled by the scales m,. 

 m.. Mature leaves 3-5 mm. wide (if exceptionally nar- 

 rower, the spikes remote) 9T. C. communis. 



m. Mature leaves 1-2.5 mm. wde (if exceptionally 

 broader, the spikes approximate). 

 Staminate and pistillate spikes all sessile. * 



Scales of pistillate spikes whitish or greenish . 98. C. varia. 



Scales purplish (98) C. varia, v. colorata. 



Staminate and the lowermost pistillate spikes 



short-peduncled 99. (7. novae-angliae. 



g. Culms leafy, the leaves elongate n. 

 n. Pistillate spikes sessile or subsessile ; basal sheaths fibrillose. 



Staminate spike overtopping the pistillate .... 154. C. Testita. 

 Staminate spike shorter than the pistillate . , . (154) C. vesiiia, v. Kennedyi, 

 n. Pistillate spikes (or at least the lower) distinctly peduncled ; 

 sheaths not fibrillose. 

 Leaves soft, ribbon-like, dark green, the lower bract ex- 

 ceeding the culm ; perigynia long-beaked . . . 150. C. scabrata. 

 Leaves firm, short, glaucous ; the bracts short ; perigynia 



barely beaked 103. C. glauca. 



d. Perigynia glabrous o. 



0. Leaves setaceous, basal ; culms setaceous, naked ; bracts reduced 



to pale tubular sheaths 



0. Leaves flat or plicate p. 

 p. Leaves lanceolate, 1.5-3 cm. broad, firm and evergreen ; culms 

 slender, bearing numerous tubular colored sheaths and 



remote slender spikes 



p. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, less than 1.5 cm. broad q. 

 q. Perigj'nia beakless or with minute entire beaks r. 



r. Pistillate spikes mostly on capillary peduncles, wide-spread- 

 ing or drooping s. 

 8. Scales brownish or purplish, nearly equaling or exceed- 

 ing the compressed short- tipped perigynia t. 

 t. Spikes globose to oblong-cylindric, rarely 2 cm. long; 

 scales exceeding the perigynia u. 

 u. Scales long-attenuate with subulate tips, much ex- 

 ceeding the perigynia. 

 Scales dark brown or purplish throughout. 

 Pistillate spikes 4-8 mm. long .... 111. 

 Pistillate spikes 1-1.6 cm. long . . (Ill) C. pauper cula,v 

 Scales green with pale-brown or yellowish margins 



(111) C. paupercula, v. pallens. 

 u. Scales obtuse or acute, barely exceeding the perigynia. 

 Leaves involute, 0.5-1 mm. wide, glaucous; scales 



brown. 112. 



Leaves flat, 1-3 mm. wide, dark green; scales 



purple-black 113. 



t. Spikes linear-cylindric, 2-5 cm. long; scales barely 



equaling the perigynia 114. 



8, Scales whitish, much shorter than the sharply trigonous 



attenuate perigynia 



r. Pistillate spikes sessile or short-peduncled, erect v. 

 V. Plant glaucous, loosely stoloiiiferous ; staminate spikes 

 long-stalked, their scales mostly purjile-brown. 

 Leaves 2.5-5 mm. wi<le, n-volute in drying, harsh; 



culms harsh ; perigynia brown 



Leaves 1-3 mm. wide, becoming plicate or involute, 

 smooth ; culms smooth ; perigyniii jiuk' green or 



whitish 



V. Plant green, densely tufted ; staminate spikes sessile or 

 short-stalked, their scales pale brown or straw 

 color. 



117. C. ebv/rnea. 



121. C. plantaginea. 



C. paupercula. 



irrigua. 



C. limosa. 

 C. rariflora. 

 C. littoralis. 



115. 0. prasina 



103. O. glauca. 



104. 0. livida. 



