ORDEE 155. CYPERACE^E. 7^7 



lateral, if any, pedunculate; bracts foliaceous, ciliate; spikes in pairs; glumes 

 membranous, mucronate, somewhat ciliate ; sty. 3-cleft ; ach. globous, rough, 

 white and shining; perig. a narrow ring upon which are 6 roundish, minute tubercles. 

 Wet or dry soils, JST. H. to Ohio and Fla. Aug. There are several well marked 

 varieties. 

 . /?. Very slender, smoothish; lateral fascicle 1 -flowered, sessile, or none. Mass. 



to Ohio. About If high. 



y. Very slender, scabrous-hirsute; lateral fascicle 1 to 2-flowered, sessile; 

 lower bracts much exceeding the culm. Ga. and Fla. (S. Carolina 

 Willd. ?) 



6. Stouter, tall (2 to 3f high), edges denticulate-ciliate ; lateral fascicles on 

 short (1 to 2') peduncles. S. States. 



5 S. reticularis MX. St. 1 2f high, triangular, rather slender; Ivs. 1" wide, 

 channeled, radical 6 12' long, cauline few; fascicles 2 5, lateral and terminal, 

 distant, loose-flowered, subsessile; spikelets somewhat in pairs, the $ many- 

 flowered, at the base of the g ; glume light brown, ovate acuminate ; sta. 2 ; 

 perig. 3-lobed ; ach. globous, of a dead white, f " diam., conspicuously reticulated 

 and deeply pitted. Borders of ponds, R. I. (Olney), to Fla, The achenium is a 

 curious and beautiful object 



6 S. laxa Torr. St. 1 2f high, weak, diffuse, acutely triangular, slender; Ivs. 

 flat, 2" wide, smooth ; fascicles about 3, open one terminal, the others lateral and 

 very remote; ped. 2 6" long, compressed, slender, often recurved; spikelets dis- 

 tant, in pairs, the sterile at the base of the 5 ; sta. 2 ; perig. deeply 3-lobed ; ach. 

 about 1" diam., globous, whitish, marked with brownish, papillous transverse 

 ridges and pits. Near the sea coast, N. J. to Fla. Sept (S. reticularis Muhl.) 



7 S. verticillata Muhl. St. 8 12' high, triquetrous, slender, glabrous; Ivs. 

 linear, narrow and flat, shorter than the stem ; fascicles smooth, purple, 4 6, sessile, 

 few-flowered, appearing as if verticillate ; bracts minute, setaceous, about as long 

 as the fascicles, scabrous upward; scales of $ ovate, smooth, scabrous and 

 keeled ; ach. globous, rugous, a little more than -J-" diam., abruptly mucronate and 

 somewhat 3 -sided at base. Very abundant in Junius, N. Y. (Startwell) to Car., 

 W. to Ohio (Sullivant). (Hypoporum verticillatum Nees.) 



8 S. interrupta MX. Pale green, sparingly hirsute ; culm 3-angled, 12 to 30' 

 high; Ivs. linear, flat, striate, 3-veiued, much shorter than the culm; fascicles 

 few-flowered, 5 to 7, alternate, approximate at the summit forming an interrupted 

 spike 2 to 3' long; glumes conspicuously cuspidate and bristly-ciliate, rusty brown; 

 ach. %'' long, smooth, purplish white, 3-sided and fluted at base. N. Car., Fla. 

 and La. 



9 S. gracile. Filiform, smooth, I to If high; culm 3-angled; Ivs. few, shorter; 

 spikes 3" long, few (1 to 5 pairs), in a terminal fascicle ; glumes ovate, mucronate, 

 purplish brown ; bract erect as if a continuation of the culm; stam. 3; ach. 1" 

 long, white, ovoid, obscurely 3-angled, longitudinally ribbed. S. Ga., Fla. to 

 Texas. (Hypoporum Torr.) 



10 S. Baldwin!!. Culm sharply 3-angled, edges scabrous, jointless, 2 to 3fhigh; 

 ' Ivs. radical, long, linear, keeled; spikes 3 to 5 pairs, 5'' long, in a terminal las- 



cicle; bracts 3, the longest erect, all purple at base; glumes brownish purple, 

 lanceolate, acuminate; stam. 3; ach. large (near 2" long), ovoid, dull, even, 

 whitish. Ga. and Fla. (Chapman.) 



18. CAREX, L. SEDGE. (The classical name, perhaps from Lat. 

 careo, to lack ; referring to the sterile spikelets.) Fls. diclinous ; spikes 

 1 or more, either androgynous (with both staminate and pistillate fls.), 

 or with the two kinds in separate spikes on the same plant (monoecious) 

 or rarely on separate plants (dioecious) ; glumes single, 1 -flowered, 

 lower ones often empty; <$ stamens 3; $ stigmas 2 or 3 ; perigynium 

 (of 2 united scales) of various forms, persistent, enclosing the lenticular 

 or triangular achenium. 2 Culms triangular, growing in tufts. 



