360 



CYPERACEAE. 



204. Carex Bicknellii Britton. 

 Sedge. (Fig. 874.) 





Bicknell's 



Carex straminea var. Crau-ei Boott, 111. 121. />.' 

 1862. Not C. Crawei Dewey. 1846. 



Culms loosely tufted, 2-T,}4 high, erect or the 

 top inclined, rough above, much longer than the 

 leaves. Leaves mostly nearly basal, 6 / -i2' long, 

 i y '- // -2^ // wide; bracts usually very short; spikes 

 3-7, ovoid, subglobose, or somewhat obovoid, 4"- 

 6" long, close together or the lower separated, sil- 

 very green or becoming yellowish, staminate at 

 the base; perigynia very broadly ovate, thin, sev- 

 eral-nerved on the outer face, 2 // ~3 // long, the 

 broad membranous wing ^ // wide, the rough 2- 

 toothed beak one-fourth to one-half as long as the 

 body; achene stalked. 



In dry soil, southern New York to Minnesota and 

 Missouri. June-July. 



205. Carex sychnocephala Carey. Dense Long-beaked Sedge. 



C. sychnocephala Carey, Am. Journ. Sci. ( II. ) 4: 24. 1847. 



Culms erect, rather stout, quite smooth, 3 / -i8 / 

 high. Leaves about \" wide, shorter than the 

 culm; lower bracts similar to the leaves, much 

 elongated, 3 / -i2 / long, about i" wide at the base, 

 nearly erect; spikes 4-10, green-brown, oblong, 

 densely many-flowered, staminate at the base, ag- 

 gregated and confluent into an oblong or ovoid 

 head i' or less long; perigynia narrowly linear- 

 lanceolate 2^ // -3 // long, about >" wide at the 

 base, tapering into a subulate rough 2-toothed 

 beak 2-3 times as long as the slightly margined and 

 few-nerved body; scales linear-lanceolate, long- 

 acuminate, hyaline, shorter and rather narrower 

 than the perigynia; stigmas 2. 



In meadows and thickets, Ontario and central New 

 York to Manitoba, Minnesota and British Columbia. 

 July-Aug. 



(Fig- 875.) 





1770. 



Family 9. ARACEAE Xeck. Act. Acad. Theod. Palat 2: 462. 



ARUM FAMILY. 



Herbs with basal long-petioled simple or compound leaves, and spathaceous 

 inflorescence, the spathe enclosing or subtending a spadix. Rootstock tuberous 

 or a corm, in our species mostly with an acrid or pungent sap. Spadix very 

 densely flowered, the staminate flowers above, the pistillate below, or the plants 

 wholly dioecious, or with perfect flowers in some species. Perianth wanting, or 

 of 4-6 scale-like segments. Stamens 4-10 in our species; filaments very short; 

 anthers 2-celled, commonly with a thick truncate connective, the sacs opening 

 by dorsal pores or slits. Ovary i -several -celled; ovules i -several in each cell: 

 style short or wanting; stigma terminal, mostly minute and sessile. Fruit a 

 berry or utricle. Seeds various. Endosperm copious, sparse or none. 



About 105 genera and 900 species, mostly of tropical regions, a few in the temperate zones. 



Flowers without a perianth. 



Flowers monoecious or dioecious, borne at the base of the spadix. 



Flowers monoecious, covering the whole spadix. 



Flowers perfect. 

 Flowers with a perianth. 



Spadix enclosed in a shell-like fleshy spathe. 



Spadix naked, terminating the scape. 



Spadix naked, borne at the base of a leaf-like spathe. 



*Text contributed by the late REV. THOMAS MORONG. 



1. Arisaetna. 



2. I'eltandra. 



3. Calla. 



4. Spathyetna. 



5. OrniiiiniH. 



'fits. 



