588 CYPERACE^. (sedge family.) 



* * » Uppermost spike fertile-flowered at the apex (rarely all staminate) : pistillate 

 spikes 3-5, oblong or cylindrical, loosely flowered, distant, on exserted fili- 

 form stalks : bracts equalling or often exceeding the culm : perigynia oblong, 

 with a short and abrupt notched point (obsolete in No. 80), green and mem- 

 branaceous at maturity : pistillate scales tawny or white. — GracIllim^. 

 1- Fertile spikes nodding or pendulous. 



78. C. Davisii, Schw. &Torr. Fertile spikes oblong-cylindrical, rather thick; 

 perigynia somewhat contracted at each end, scarcely longer than the conspicuously 

 owned scale. (C. aristata, Dew., not of R. Br. C. Torreyana, Dew.) — Wet 

 meadows, Massachusetts to Wisconsin, and southward. — Larger than the next 

 (1°- 2° high), and with stouter and longer spikes. 



79. C. forill6sa, Dew. Fertile spikes oblong, short, all commonly with 2 or 

 3 barren flowers or empty scales at the base ; perigynia somewhat contracted at 

 each end, nearly twice as long as the pointed or cuspidate scale. — Wet meadows, 

 Massachusetts to W. New York. 



80. C. gracillima, Schw. Fertile spikes linear, slender; perigynia obtuse 

 and slightly oblique at the orifice, longer than the oblong awned or awnless scale. 

 (C. digitalis, Schw. ^r Ton:, not of Willd.) — Wet meadows, New England to 

 Kentucky, Wisconsin, and northward. — When the uppermost spike is alto- 

 gether staminate this resembles C. arctata ; but is distinguished by the obtuse 

 and sessile perigynium. 



•t- ■<- Fertile spikes nearly erect, all but the lowest short-peduncled or nearly sessile. 



81. C sestivilis, M. A. Curtis. Spikes slender, loosely flowered; peri- 

 gynia acutish at both ends, twice the length of the ovate obtuse or mucronate scale; 

 achenium somewhat stipitate ; sheaths of the lower leaves pubescent : otherwise 

 nearly as the last, but smaller (l°-lj° high). — Saddle Mountain, W. Massa- 

 chusetts (Dewey), mountains of Penn., Virginia, and southward. 



§ 3. Perigynia without a beak, hairy (in No. 83 becoming smooth at maturity), 

 slightly inflated, bluntly 3-angled, obtuse, conspicuously nerved, with a mi- 

 nute abrupt straight point: bracts narrow, with very short or obsolete 

 sheaths, the lowest exceeding the culm ; pistillate scales tawny or white ; 

 S]nkes 2-4, erect, the uppermost androgynous, fertile-flowered at the apex and 

 club-shaped: tlie rest all fertile. — • Virescentes. 



82. C. vir^SCenS, Muhl. Sj>ikes oblong or cylindrical, on short stalks; peri- 

 gynia ovoid, nearly entire at the orifice, rather longer than the ovate awned scale ; 

 leaves and sheaths hairy. (C. costata, Schw.) — Rocky woods and hillsides. New 

 England to Michigan, and southward. — Culms I'ough, slender, l°-2° high: 

 fertile spikes 6" -12" long. 



83. C. triceps, Michx. Spikes ovoid, nearly sessile, closely approximate ; 

 perigynia broadly vbovoid, entire at the orifice, downy when young, smooth at 

 maturity, rather longer than the pointed scale; sheaths very hairy; leaves more 

 or less so. (C. hirsiita, Willd, C. viridula, Schw. Sf Torr., not of Michx.) — 

 Varies with the spikes rather longer and on stalks, and leaves nearly smooth. 

 (C. hirsuta, var. pedunculata, Schw. Sf Torr.)- — Woods and meadows: the 

 smoother form southward. — Culm 12' - 18' high. Spikes 6" - 9" long. 



