212 



OyPERACEAE (SEDGIC FAMILY) 



fc. RemnnntB of the old leaves persisting (is stiff tuftod 

 Hbi'eds; Bcalos ftoumlnate, Hhari>-poliitod, nearly 

 or quite equallug' the porlpynlu. 

 Pei-lgynla 1.7-2.4 mm, thick. 

 Boak nearly or quite as long as the body of the 

 perlgyuluiri, 

 Perigynla puborulent . . . . 98. a umbellaia. 



Perigyula tflabrous (08) O. tmibellata, v. tuiiea. 



Beak one third an long as the body . (08) C. umheilata, v. brevirodtrie. 



Perigynla 1.8-1.0 nun. thick 04. (7. nigro-marginata. 



k. ItecQiiants of old leaves soft, sllKhtly If at all shredded ; 

 scales blunt or acuto, much shorter than the 



perigynla 06. (7. d0lexa, 



^. Culms olonijato, none of thora hidden at the base of the 

 plant I. 

 I. Perigynla much exceeding the scales; spikes closely 



approximate 96. ^7. albicans. 



I. Perigynla nearly or quito otpialed by the scales m. 

 m. Mature loaves 8-D mm. wide (if exceptionally nar- 

 rower, the splkoa rumoLe) 97. (7. commv/tiiB. 



m. Mature leaves 1-2.5 mm. wide (Jf exceptionally 

 broader, the spikes approximate). 

 Btamlnate and piHttllato spikes all sosallo. 

 Scales of pistillate spikes whitish or greenish . 98. 0. varia. 



Scales purplish (08) C. varia, v. colovfiiit. 



ytainlnate and the lowermost pistillate spikes 



Bhiirt-podunclod 09, C novae-angliaf. 



g. Culras leafy, the leaves elongate n. 

 n. Pistillate spikes sessile or subsessllo : basal sheaths flbrlUose. 



Stamlnate spike overtopping the pistillate .... 154. 0. i^eatUa. 

 Btamlnate spike shorter than the pistillate , . . (154) 0. DeHtiia, v. Kennedyi. 

 n. Pistillate spikes (or at least the lower) distinctly pedunclod ; 

 sheaths not flbrilloso. 

 Leaves sol't, rlbbon-Uko, dark green, the lower bract ex- 

 ceeding the culm ; porigynia long-beaked . . . 150. 0. ecabrata. 

 Leaves Arm, short, glaucous ; the bracts short ; perigynla 



barely beaked 108. O. glauca. 



i Perigynla glabrous o. 

 0. Leaves setaceous, basal ; culms setaceous, naked ; bracts reduced 



to pale tubular sheaths 117. O. eburnea. 



0. Leaves flat or pllcaLo p. 

 p. Leaves lanceolate, 1.5-8 cm. broad, firm and evergreen ; culms 

 slender, bearing numerous tubular colored sheaths and 



remote slender splkiis \91. O. pla/rUaginea. 



].. Leaves linear or llnoar-lancoolato, less than 1.5 cm. broad q. 

 q. Perigynla boakleas or with mlnuLo entire beaks r. 

 r. Plstlllato spikes mostly on capillary peduncles, wide-spread- 

 ing or drooping s. 

 o. Scales brownish or purplish, nearly equaling or exceed* 

 Ing the eoinpreaaed short-tipped porigvnia t. 

 t. Spikes globose to oblong-cyllnurlc, rarely 2 om. long; 

 BCttlos exceeding the porlj^ynla u. 

 u. Scales long-attenuate wiMi subulate tips, much ex- 

 ceeding the perigynla. 

 Scales dark brown or purplish throughout. 

 Pistillate spikes 4-8 mm. long .... 111. 0, paupcrcula. 

 Pistillate spikes 1-1.0 cm. long . . (Ill) O.pam/perc'lo.y. irrigua. 

 Scales green with pale-brown or yellowish margins 



(111) O. pauper cii hi, ^. pal leu i^ 

 ■w. Scales obtuse or acute, barely exceeding tlir perigynla. 

 Leaves InvohUo, 0,5-1 mm. wide, glaucous; scales 



brown 112, 0. Hmosa. 



Leaves Hat, 1-8 mm. wide, dark groon ; scales 



purple-black 118. 0. raritflora. 



t. Spikes linear-oyllndrlo, 2-5 cm. long; scalow barely 



equaling tUo perigynla \U. O. litloraUa. 



a. Scales whitish, much shorter than the sharply trigonous 



attonuato perigynla 115. O. pranina 



y. Pistillate spikes sessile or ahort-ped uncled, tired, -y. 

 V. Plant glaucous, loosely siolanll'iM-dua ; atamlnato spikes 

 long-atalked, their scales mostly purple-brown. 

 Loaves 2.5-5 mm. wide, revolute in drying, harsh; 



culms harsh; perigynla brown . . * . . 108. O. glanr,t. 



Loaves 1-8 mm. wide, becoming pllcato nr Involute, 

 smooth; oulms smooth; |tnrlgyuliv piil<- ginuii or 



whitish HM. <\ linUht. 



V. Plant green, densely tufted ; .stamlnate aplkoa sessile or 

 Hhort-stalkcil, their scales iialo bruwn or straw 

 color. 



