CYPERACE^E. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 375 



Dak., and probably generally distributed northward. A variable species; 

 spikes usually brown or dark purple, sometimes whitish, the pistillate varying 

 in size from an inch long to very small and almost abortive. A form with 

 rigid leaves, a single whitish pistillate spike with large perigynia and borne 

 at the base of the staminate spike, has considerable resemblance to forms of 

 C. filifolia. Radical spikes sometimes occur. 



7. C. Emmonsii, Dew. Densely cespitose : culms many, very slender, 

 about equalling the narrow soft leaves: staminate spike very small, 1 to 4 lines 

 long, often nearly concealed by the pistillate spikes, which are 2 to 5, small, 3 to 

 9-flowered, green, the lower usually short-bracted, very closely aggregated at the 

 top of the culm, occasionally 1 or 2 of the lower a little remote or rarely on a 

 radical peduncle : perigynium small, narrowly oval or ovate and more or less 

 3-sided, with a conspicuous more or less toothed beak. C. Novce-Anglice, 

 var. Emmonsii, Carey. Indian Territory (Geo. D. Butler) and southward. 

 Readily distinguished by its closely aggregated green spikes. 



4_ ._ Culms mostly shorter than the leaves : spikes looser flowered and more scat- 

 tered, often radical. 



8. C. NOVSB- Anglic, Schw., var. Rossii, Bailey. Culms few, 3 to 6 inches 

 high, nearly or about the length of the narrow and straight leaves : pistillate spikes 

 few, 1 to 4-flowered, linear and upright, light colored : perigynia loosely alternate 



on a zigzag rhachis, ovoid, the flattened mostly cut-toothed beak either longer 

 or shorter than the body. C. Rossii, Boott. Frequent from New Mexico 

 (Fendfer, 889) to the mountains of Colorado and Utah; also in British 

 Columbia. The species occurs in Washington Territory and northward and 

 eastward in British America. It is distinguished by a weaker habit, and 

 darker colored and more aggregated spikes. 



9. C. umbellata, Schk. Rootstock stout, mostly horizontal: culms many, 

 mostly very short and crowded and concealed among the leaves, sometimes 3 to 4 

 inches long: leaves many, generally short, stiff and curved, sometimes weak and 

 straggling and 6 inches long : staminate spike inch or less long, not usually dis- 

 tinct and conspicuous : pistillate spike usually crowded among the bases of the leaves, 

 sometimes one or more of them exserted and clustered with the staminate 

 spike : perigynium globose-elliptic, more or less flattened, produced into a 

 flattened toothed beak as long as the body. Indian Territory ; and common 

 eastward. 



Var. brevirostris, Boott. Beak much shorter and minutely tootbed, the 

 perigynium rounder or somewhat 3-sided. Mogollon Mountains, New Mexico, 

 and near Golden City, Colorado (E. L. Greene) ; also in California and British 

 America. 



3. Spikes androgynous, staminate above: pistillate flowers few, often remote, 

 usually on a more or less zigzag rhachis: scales prolonged and leaf-like (scari- 

 ous and often short in No. 10) : perigynium smooth, or slightly hispid above, 

 mostly tightly enclosing the achenium, the beak, if any, straight. PHYLLO- 

 STACHYs, 1 Carey. 



1 A peculiar section, including one Caucasian and five American species which fall into 

 two well-marked groups. The section is connected with the Montana through the Brao- 

 tentce, and with the Old World Depauperates, and through that group with the Laxiflorce, by 

 C. Geyeri. 



