52 CYPERACEAE 



Perigynia membranous or papery. 

 Spike solitary, few-flowered, staminate above : perigynia subulate 



strongly reflexed. I. PAUCIFLORAE. 



Spikes normally several, the staminate uppermost, if solitary staminate 

 at the base. 

 Perigynia ovoid, conic, each with a narrowed base, or subulate, taper- 

 ing into the beak. 

 Teeth of the perigynium-beak slender, short or none, neither stiff 

 nor awned. 

 Teeth of the perigynium-beak lanceolate or subulate. 



II. I^UPULINAE. 

 Teeth of the perigynium-beak short or almost wanting. 



III. VESICARIAE. 

 Teeth of the perigynium-beak stiff, setaceous or awned. 



IV. PSEUDOCYPERINAE. 

 Perigynia obovoid, very abruptly contracted into the beak : spikes 



exceedingly dense. V. SQUARROSAE. 



Perigynia firm, hard or leathery. VI. PALUDOSAE. 



** Perigynia short-beaked or beakless, little or not at all inflated, 1-5 mm. 

 long, the beak commonly not more than % as long as the body (long- 

 beaked in no. 32); spikes small and oblong or globose ; or elongated 

 linear or narrowlylcylindric. 

 t Spikes 2 or more, the staminate one always uppermost, sometimes partly 

 pistillate. 

 § Pistillate spike or spikes many-flowered, mostly 2.5 cm. long or more 

 (or shorter in nos. 33, 45, 47, 48, 51, 56-58), linear, narrowly cylindric 

 or oblong. 

 X Perigynia with a'straight short beak (long-beaked in no. 32 ; nearly 

 beakless in no. 28), firm or leathery in texture ; pistillate spikes 

 erect ; stigmas 3. 

 Uppermost spike staminate from the base to about the middle. 



VII. SHORTIANAE. 

 Uppermost spike entirely staminate, or occasionally pistillate at the 

 base. 

 Perigynia papillose ; beak very short, nearly or quite entire. 



VIII. ANOMALAE. 

 Perigynia pubescent ; beak sharply 2-toothed. 



IX. HIRTAE. 

 Jt Perigynia beakless or very short-beaked (see no. 28), and with ori- 

 fices nearly or quite entire, thin in texture, not inflated, closely in- 

 vesting the achene : pistillate spikes erect or drooping, often 

 brown or purple : stigmas often 2, 

 Pistillate spikes erect or somewhat spreading. 

 Terminal spike staminate below : stigmas 3. 



X. ATRATAE. 

 Terminal spike staminate throughout : stigmas 2. 



XI. RIGIDAE. 

 Pistillate spikes drooping, mostly on slender peduncles. 

 Pistillate spikes 0.6-7.5 cm. long : stigmas 3 (2 in no. 38). 

 Pistillate spikes linear ; scales shorter than the perigynia. 



XII. PRASINAE. 

 Pistillate spikes globose, oblong or cylindric : scales as long as 

 the perigynia, or longer. XIII. PENDUI,INAE. 



