240 



CYl^ERACEAB (SEDGE FAMILY} 



persisting through the winter, at least twice longer than the culm ; a sheathing 



purple scale at the base of the spike; staminate spike 2.5-6 cm. long, clavate in 

 anthesis, the purple scales ending in a very short and blunt whitish 

 tip ; pistillate spike narrower and mostly longer, the scales more 

 abruptly contracted into a colored cusp and at length deciduous ; 

 perigynia much contracted below into a stipe-like base, very stronglj' 

 nerved, pointless, hairy above, covered by the scales. — In a wooded 

 ravine near Bloomington, Ind. (Dudley); also Ala. and La. Fig.471. 



117. C. ebiirnea Boott. Tufted from a rigid pale 

 brown stoloiiiferous base; culms capillary, wiry, 

 1-4 dm. high ; leaves involute-filiform, shorter than 

 the culm ; staminate spike very small (4-8 mm. long), 

 sessile or very short-peduncled, overtopped by the two 

 upper pistillate spikes; pistillate spikes 2-4, approxi- 

 mate or the lowest remote, all stalked, erect, 2-6- 

 flowered; perigynia very small (1.5-2 mm. long), 



471. C. Dicta almost nerveless, smooth and becoming black and 472. c. ebumea. 

 sAiraingr at full maturity ; scales icAfte and thin, obtuse, 



shorter than the perigynia. ( O. setifotia Britton. ) *— Limestone ledges or shingle, 

 rarely in sand, e. Que. to the Mackenzie, s. locally to Va., 

 Ky., Mo., and Neb. May-Aug. Fig. 472. 



118. C. pedunculita Muhl. Low and diffuse, 0.5-3 dm. 

 high, forming mats ; leaves abundant, very green, flat and 

 firm, 2-5 mm. wide, mostly longer than the loeak culms; 

 staminate spike small, usually slightly pistillate at base ; pistil- 

 late spikes 2-4 on each culm, scattered and long-peduncled 

 from green sheaths, erect or spreading, many other spikes 

 nearly or quite radical and very long-stalked, all 3-8-flowered ; 

 perigynia smooth or very slightly pubescent above, the short 

 and nearly entire beak somewhat oblique ; scales green to 

 purple, truncate and cuspidate, mostly a little longer than the 

 perigynia. — Rich woods and banks, e. Que. to 

 Sask., s. to Va., 0., Mich., and Minn. Apr.- 

 June. Fig. 473. 



119. C. concinna R. Br. Loosely caespi- 

 tose ; culms slender, curving, 0.5-2 dm. high ; 

 leaves dark green, mostly shorter, 1-3 mm. 

 wide ; staminate spike 4-7 mm. long, sessile or . 

 short-peduncled ; pistillate 2 or 3, the upper " concinna. 



»3ssile and approximate, 3-lO-Jlowered ; perigynia narrowly trigonous-ovoid, 

 hairy, blunt, 2.5-3 mm. long, much exceeding the darS pale- 

 margined roundish scales. — Mossy knolls and cold wooded 

 banks, e. Que. to the Mackenzie, s. to n. N. B., Ont., and 

 Mont. June, July. Fig. 474. 



120. C. Richardsbni R. Br. Rather stiff, 1-3 dm. high ; 

 stoloniferous ; sheaths short, purple or brown ; leaves 2-4 

 mm. wide ; staminate spike stout and mostly short-peduncled, 

 1.5-2.5 cm. long; pistillate spikes 1-3, the very short stalks 

 included, erect, compact ; perigynia obovoid, firm, hairy, the 

 very short beak entire or erose ; scales brown, with a conspicu- 

 ous white-hyaline margin, obtuse or pointless. — Dry ground, 

 Ont. to B. C, s. to w. N. Y., 111., la., S. Dak., etc. May, 

 June. Fig. 475. 



121. C. plantagfnea Lam. Slender but erect, 2.5-5.5 dm. 

 high ; leaves very firm, appearing after the floieers and per- 

 sisting over winter, shorter than' the culm ; staminate spike 

 purple and clavate, stalked, 1.3-2.5 cm. long; pi.stillate spikes 

 3-4, scattered, loosely few-flowered, 1-2.5 era. long, erect, the 

 peduncles mostly included in the leafless sheaths; nerigynia 



«5. Elohardaoni. 3-4.5 mm. long, sharply 3-angled, prominently beaked, slightly 



i.'H. C. pedunculata. 



