CYPERACEAE (SEDGE FAMILY) 



227 



(5-9 mm.) and flat, their sheaths conspicuously clothing the 

 base of the culm ; spikes 6-12, the 2 or 3 upper ones con- 

 tiguous, the remainder entirely separate, very green, short- 

 cylindric, the lowest often compound, all truncate at top 

 perigyniuin ovate, 3-4 mm. long, rough on the short beak, 

 often obscurely nerved on the outer face, considerably longer 

 than the whitish sharp-pointed scale. Rich woods, N. H. to 

 Ont., Mo., and Va. June, July. FIG. 401. 



48. C. cephaloidea Dewey. Lax, very green, 3-9 dm. 

 high ; leaves broad (5-8 mm.) and thin, 

 shorter than the long soft culm ; head 1.8-3.8 

 cm. long, rather dense ; perigynium narrowty 

 ovate, 3.5-4.5 mm. long, pale green, nerve- 

 less, with long rough beak, spreading. 

 Rich woods and thickets, local, N. B. to 

 Pa., Wise., and Ont. May-July. FIG. 402. 



49. C. alopecoidea Tuckerm. Stout but 

 rather soft, 4-9 dm. high ; culm rather sharp, 



402. C. cephaloidea. th }9 k a " d soft in texture; leaves 4-8 mm. 401. C. sparganioides. 



wide, about the length of the culm, very 



green ; head 2-6 cm. long, straw-color or tawny, occasionally a little compound, 

 the spikes many and compactly or somewhat loosely disposed or the lowest 

 often separate and all mostly short-cylindric ; perigynium 3-4 

 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. broad, tapering into a rough beak, very 

 prominently stipitate, with a few brown nerves on the outer 

 face, ascending, about equaling or a little exceeding the scale ; 

 achene obovate, 1 mm. broad, style not thickened at base. 



Open swales and low thickets, Me. to Ont. 



and 111. ; local. June, July. FIG. 403. 



50. C. gravida Bailey. Low, the culm 

 thin and sharply angled, 2-5 dm. high ; leaves 

 rather firm, shorter than the culm ; head 2-4 



cm. long, greenish to pale brown, short-cylindric, the lowest 

 spikes rarely distinct ; spikes globular ; perigynium 3-4.5 mm. 

 long, 2-3 mm. broad, sessile, plump and somewhat polished at 

 maturity, prominently spreading ; achene sub- 

 orbicular, 1.5-2 mm. broad, style bulbous- 

 thickened at base. Ind. and Wise, to Neb., 

 and southw. FIG. 404. Var. LAXIF6HA 

 404. C. gravida. Bailey. Much larger, 6-12 dm. high ; leaves 

 broader and lax ; head large and dense, 

 ovoid or thick-cylindric, scarcely interrupted. Ky. to S. Dak. 

 and Mo. 



61. C. vulpinoidea Michx. Mostly rather 

 stiff, 0.3-1 m. high ; culm very rough, at least 

 above; leaves 2-5 mm. broad, mostly flat and 

 longer than the culm; head 2-15 cm. long, 

 usually much interrupted or dense or somewhat 

 compound, varying from dull brown to almost 

 green at maturity, commonly provided with 

 many very setaceous short bracts ; spikes very 

 numerous, ascending and densely flowered ; peri- 4Q5 c vu i pinoidea 

 gynium ovate or lance-ovate, mostly ascending, 

 1.7-3 cm. long ; scales mostly long-awned. Low places, variable. 

 June-Aug. FIG. 405. 



52. C. setacea Dewey. Resembling the last ; culms stiff, 

 0.4-1 m. high, much exceeding the rather broad (2-7 mm.) stiffish 

 leaves; head usually simple, 3.5-9 cm. long, of approximate or 

 remote spikes ; perigynia lanceolate to lance-ovate, tapering 

 406. c. setacea. gradually to the serrulate beak, usually dull brown or drab in 



C. alopecoidea. 



