PIjANTS OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. 247 



bb. Spikelets cylindrical or ovate with flowers on all sides, not two-ranked. 

 c. No apparent leaves (reduced to mere sheaths). Bleocharis, p. 257 

 d. Leaves present. 



e. Inflorescence in compact heads, provided with soft silky or 

 cotton-like white or whitish hairs, which become long and 

 plume-like in autumn. Brio.phorum, p. 273 



ee. Inflorescence not provided with white or whitish hairs. 

 f. Flowers i to 2 (rarely 3-4) in a spike. 



g. Achene, with a conspicuous beak or cap distinctly dif- 

 ferent from the main portion. Rymchospora, p. 275 

 gg. Achene uniform throughout, no beak. 



Cladium, p. 282 

 ff. Flowers numerous, always more than four in a spikelet. 

 g. Lowest leaves at least (often whole plant), hispid. 



Puirena, p. 274 

 gg. Leaves never hispid. 



h. Spikelets i or 2-12 sessile in a terminal cluster. 



Scirpus, p. 266 

 hh. Spikelets pedicelled, or at least some of them, 

 sometimes several on each pedicel. 

 i. Plant less than 3.7 dm. high. 



j. Leaves filiform, shorter than the inflo- 

 rescence. StenophylHs, p. 265 

 jj. Leaves linear, flat. 



k. Spikes half a line wide, leaves much 

 shorter than the inflorescence. 



FimbrysHUs autumnalis, p. 265 

 kk. Spikes one line wide, leaves equalling 

 inflorescence. Psilocaria, p. 265 



ii. Plants more than 6 dm. high. 

 }'. Leaves rigid, involute. 



Fimbrystilis castanea, p. 26s 

 jj. Leaves not involute. Scirpus, p. 266 



aa. Flowers of two kinds, some staminate, some pistillate. 



b. Achene inclosed in a sack or perigynia, open at the tip and often pro- 

 longed into a slender toothed beak. 



c. Staminate and pistillate flowers in distinct spikes or in different 

 parts of the same spike. Careji;, section "a," p. 28s 



cc. Staminate and pistillate flowers, mingled together in (or stami- 

 nate at the base of) a terminal branching, "prickly" cluster (green 

 or straw color) or in several scattered star-like clusters ( green) . 



Carex, section "aa," p. 288 

 ccc. Staminate and pistillate flowers, mingled (staminate usually at the 

 base) in uniform ovoid heads, clustered or usually separate, at 

 the end of the scape; each composed of numerous closely imbri- 

 cated, flat achenes and scales (chestnut or green). 



Carex, section "aaa," p. 290 

 bb. Achene' naked, resembling a hard, round, bony seed, supported on a 

 hard disc, generally white and shining sometimes blackish. 



Scleria, p. 282 



