240 



CYPERACEAE (SEDGE FAMILY) 



persisting through the winter, at least twice longer than the culm ; a sheathing 



purple scale at the base of the spike; staminate spike 2.5-0 cm. long, clavate in 

 anthesis, the purple scales ending in a very short and blunt whitish 

 tip; pistillate spike narrower and mostly longer, the scales more 

 abruptly contracted into a colored cusp and at length deciduous ; 

 perigynia much contracted below into a stipe-like base, very strongly 

 nerved, pointless, hairy above, covered by the scales. In a wooded 

 ravine near Bloomington, Ind. (Dudley); also Ala. and La. FIG. 471. 



117. C. eburnea Boott. Tufted from a rigid pale 

 brown stoloniferous base; culms capillary, wiry, 

 1-4 dm. high ; leaves involute-filiform, shorter than 

 the culm ; staminate spike very small (4-8 mm. long), 

 sessile or very short-peduncled, overtopped by the two 

 upper pistillate spikes; pistillate spikes 2-4, approxi- 

 mate or the lowest remote, all stalked, erect, 2-6- 

 flowered ; perigynia very small (1.5-2 mm. long), 



471 C picta a l mos t nerveless, smooth and becoming black and 472. c. eburnea. 

 shining at full maturity ; scales white and thin, obtuse, 



shorter than the perigynia. ( C. setifolia Britton. ) Limestone ledges or shingle, 

 rarely in sand, e. Que. to the Mackenzie, s. locally to Va., 

 Ky., Mo., and Neb. May-Aug. FIG. 472. 



118. C. pedunculata Muhl. Low and diffuse, 0.5-3 dm. 

 high, forming mats ; leaves abundant, very green, flat and 

 firm, 2-5 mm. wide, mostly longer than the weak culms; 

 staminate spike small, usually slightly pistillate at base ; pistil- 

 late spikes 2-4 on each culm, scattered and long-peduncled 

 from green sheaths, erect or spreading, many other spikes 

 nearly or quite radical and very long-stalked, all 3-8-flowered ; 

 perigynia smooth or very slightly pubescent above, the short 

 and nearly entire beak somewhat oblique ; scales green to 

 purple, truncate and cuspidate, mostly a little longer than the 

 perigynia. Rich woods and banks, e. Que. to 



Sask., s. to Va., 0., Mich., and Minn. Apr.- 

 June. FIG. 473. 



119. C. concinna R. Br. Loosely caespi- 

 tose ; culms slender, curving, 0.5-2 dm. high ; 

 leaves dark green, mostly shorter, 1-3 mm. 



473. C. pedunculate. wide 5 staminate spike 4-7 mm. long, sessile or 



short-peduncled ; pistillate 2 or 3, the upper 4 



sessile and approximate, 3-lQ-flowered ; perigynia narrowly trigonous-ovoid, 

 hairy, blunt, 2.5-3 mm. long, much exceeding the dark pale- 

 margined roundish scales. Mossy knolls and cold wooded 

 banks, e. Que. to the Mackenzie, s. to n. N. B., Ont. , and 

 Mont. June, July. FIG. 474. 



120. C. Richardsbni R. Br. Rather stiff, 1-3 dm. high; 

 stoloniferous; sheaths short, purple or brown; leaves 2-4 

 mm. wide ; staminate spike stout and mostly short-peduncled, 

 1.5-2.5 cm. long; pistillate spikes 1-3. the very short stalks 

 included, erect, compact ; perigynia obovoid, firm, hairy, the 

 very short beak entire or erose ; scales brown, with a conspicu- 

 ous white-hyaline margin, obtuse or pointless. Dry ground, 

 Ont. to B. C., s. to w. N. Y., 111., la., S. Dak., etc. May, 

 June. FIG. 475. 



121. C. plantaginea Lam. Slender but erect, 2.5-5.5 dm. 

 high ; leaves very firm, appearing after the flowers and per- 

 sisting over winter, shorter than the culm ; staminate spike 

 purple and clavate, stalked, 1.3-2.5 cm. long; pistillate spikes 

 3-4, scattered, loosely few-flowered, 1-2.5 cm. long, erect, the 

 peduncles mostly included in the leafless sheaths ; perigynia 



475. C Richardsoni. 3-4.5 mm. long, sharply 3-angled, prominently beaked, slightly 



