CYPERACE^:. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 583 



2 fertile spikes 9"- 18" in length, appearing somewhat bristly from the long and 

 spreading scale. Differs from the next chiefly in the rounder perigynium and 

 nearly smooth culm, and should perhaps be referred to it. 



51. C. Stricta, Lam. (not of Good.) Sterile spikes 1-3; the fertile 2 - 4, 

 cylindrical, slender, usually barren at the summit, sessile, or the lower on a short 

 stalk ; lower bract with rounded or oblong brown auricles, seldom exceeding 

 the culm ; perigynia ovate-acuminate or elliptical, nerveless, or very obscurely few- 

 nerved, often minutely rough on the short, entire, or slightly notched point, usually 

 shorter and broader than the narrow reddish-brown scale ; culm slender, sharply 

 triangular, rough, longer than the narrow and rigid rough and glaucous leaves ; 

 their older sheaths with conspicuous reticulated fibres. ( C. aciita, Muhl., &c., 

 not of L. C. Virginiana, Smith in Rees, Cycl. C. acuta, var. erecta, Dew. 

 C. angustata, Boott.) Var. STR^CTIOR has shorter and more densely flowered 

 fertile spikes, and perigynia equalling or somewhat exceeding the scale. (C. 

 strictior, Dew.) Wet meadows and swamps : very common. Grows in large 

 and very compact tufts : culms 2 - 2^ high. Scales of the fertile spikes very 

 variable ; the lower commonly acute, the upper narrower and obtuse. (C. xero- 

 carpa, S. H. Wright, in Dew. Cat., seems to be a mere state of C. stricta.) 



52. C. lenticular is, Michx. Sterile spike single and mostly fertile at the 

 top ; the fertile 2-5, erect, cylindrical (6"-12"long), sessile, or the lower short- 

 peduncled, densely-flowered; bracts exceeding the culm; perigynia ovate-oval, 

 sessile, more or less nerved, abruptly short-pointed, the point entire, slightly ex- 

 ceeding the oblong and very obtuse scale ; culm (6' -20' high) and leaves smooth 

 or nearly so, pale. Wet gravelly banks and shores, N. Maine (.7. Blake^ C. 

 E. Smith), N. New York (Torrey, Knieskern, J. A. Paine), Upper Michigan 

 (Prof. Porter, frc.), and northward. 



.M. ++ -*. Paludose or maritime : pistillate scales awned or pointed from the broad and 

 strong more or less triple-nerved centre or midrib. 



53. C. salina, Wahl. Sterile spikes 2 - 3 ; the fertile 2-4, cylindrical, erect, 

 often sterile at the apex, on more or less included stalks ; bracts long, with 

 rounded auricles, the two lowest commonly exceeding the culm ; perigynia ovate- 

 elliptical, with a minute entire point, nerveless, rather shorter than the roughly-awned 

 dark-brown scale; culm (l-2high) rough at the top, rather exceeding the 

 leaves. Salt marshes, Massachusetts ( Greene, W. Boott), Maine ( G. L. Good- 

 ale), and far northward. (Eu.) 



54. C. maritima, Vahl. Sterile and fertile spikes each 2-4 (the latter 

 rarely 5 or 6) (l'-2' long), spreading or drooping on slender peduncles ; perigynia 

 nearly orbicular, with a short entire point, much shorter than the long-awned green- 

 ish scale; culm (l-2 high) and the broad fiat leaves smooth. (C. paleacea, 

 Wahl. ) Salt marshes, Cambridge and Medford, Mass. ( Greene, W. Boott), 

 Wells, Maine, (/. Blake) and northward: rare. (Eu.) 



55. C. crinita, Lam. Sterile spikes 1-2, often with fertile fiowers vari- 

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

 often staminate at the apex, on exserted nodding stalks ; bracts very long, exceed- 

 ing the culm ; perigynia roundish-obovate, slightly inflated, obscurely nerved, with 

 a short entire point, shorter than the oblong mostly notched roughly-serrate awned 



