590 cyperacejE. (sedge family.) 



perigynia oval-triangular, narrowed to each end, the point either strongly or 

 sometimes slightly recurved. — A most polymorphous species ; very common 

 in open woods, copses, &c. The leading forms were collated by Dr. Boott as 

 follows. — The typical form taken by him (C. striStula, Michx.) has the leaves 

 long and narrow (2" -4" wide), spikes about 1' long and loosely flowered ; peri- 

 gynia with a slightly recurved or almost straight point, their scale except the 

 lowest nearly pointless ; sterile spike mostly conspicuous and long-peduncled. 



— Var. 8TYLOFLEXA, Boott. (C. styloflexa. Dew. C. fusifo'rmis, Chapman.) 

 Slender, the weak filiform culms l°-2|-° long ; fertile spikes 2-4, short, .'i-10- 

 flowered, the lowest on a long setaceous peduncle ; bracts mostly shorter than 

 the culm ; perigynia more tapering or triangular-fusiform, the point commonly 

 recurved. New Jersey (C. F. Austin), Penn. {Prof. Porter), and southward. 



— Var. PLANTAGfNEA, Boott (var. patulifolia of former edition. C. planta- 

 ginea, SchL), has the root-leaves b"-T' broad, otherwise as in the typical form. 



— Var. iNTERMiiDiA, Boott (C. anceps, If i/H., iScAt.), includes various slender, 

 narrow-leaved forms, with loosely-flowered spikes, but otherwise as the next. 

 — Var. blAnda (C. blanda. Dew. C. laxiflora, var. striatula, Ed. 2), includes 

 narrow-leaved forms, 6' -18' high, with the sterile spike usually short or 

 club-shaped and nearly sessile ; the fertile oblong and dense, the uppermost 

 approximate ; bracts much surpassing the culm ; perigynia obovate with a short 

 abruptly bent point; scale usually awn-pointed. — Var. LATir6LiA, Boott, has 

 a broadly and very sharp-angled culm, and very broad leaves and bracts 

 (8" -15" wide), inconspicuous sterile spike, the fertile ones cylindrical and 

 loosely flowered, but the broad perigynium much longer than the truncate or 

 abruptly short-pointed scale. V'j, ^ i \, ,' - tTt -- >^ y, ,';.,,. 



1- •<- Perigynia densely striate, or as if finely wrinkled rather than nerved, of a firm 

 texture, obscurely triangular, with a callous orifce ; style thickened above the base : 

 scale with the somewhat 3-nerved keel extended into a stout rough awn or point. 



90. C. oligOC&rpa, Schk. Fertile spikes small, 3 - 8-flowered ; the 

 point of the perigynium straight or slightly oblique, not recurved ; leaves 

 rough only on the edge ; sheaths smooth. { C. Sartwellikna, Guy. ) — Woods, 

 W. New England to Illinois and Kentucky. — Culm slender, 6' -12' long. 



91. C. HitcllCOCki&Iia, Dew. Fertile spikes very loosely 3- 5-flowercd; 

 apex of the perigynium recurved ; sheaths and upper side of the leaves roughly 

 pubescent. — Woods, New England to IlHnois and Kentucky. — Culml°-2° 

 high, stouter, and fruit larger than ra the last. 



§ 5. Perigynium without a beak, smooth or downy, not inflated, obovoid-triquetrous, 

 with a minute obliquely bent white and membranaceous point, reddish-brown 

 or olive-colored at maturity ; bracts reduced to colored sheaths, or iviih a short 

 green prolongation : leaves all radical, narrow or bristle-shaped. — DiGiTixiE. 



92. C. eblirnea, Boott. Sterile spike solitary ; the fertile 3-4, erect, about 

 b flowered, approximated and elevated on long stalks above the staminate spike : the 

 lowest sometimes a little remote ; perigynia obscurely nerved, smooth and shin- 

 ing, rather longer than the broad and obtuse membranaceous whitish scale. 

 (C. alba, var. setifolia, Dew.) — Limestone rocks, N. New England to Kentucky, 

 and northward. — A delicate species, with very slender culms, 4'- 10 high, and 



