328 SEDGE FAMILY 



(1) Terminal staminate spike absent or incon- 



spicuous, spikes often drooping, 2-5 in 

 a dense head, or contiguous ; the scales 

 dark purple-brown to black; stigmas 3 



(a) Spikes round or ovoid, 7-20 mm.x5-12 



mm., 1-4, usually 3 in a dense head 1-2 

 cm.xl-1.5 cm., often drooping C.atrdta 



(b) Spikes oblong to cylindric, 1-5, usually 



separate, 7-30 mm.x3-6 mm. wide, 

 often long-stalked and drooping 

 x. Spikes drooping, 1-3 cm.x5-6 mm. C. bella 



y. Spikes not drooping 



(x) Spikes 2-3, often crowded, 7-12 



mm.x3-4 mm. C. alpina 



(y) Spikes 3-5, mostly separate, 1-2 cm. 



x5-6 mm. C. Raytwldsii 



(2) Terminal spike or spikes staminate, rarely 



partly staminate 

 (a) Lateral pistillate spikelets 1-3, 1-few- 

 flowered, 3-10 mm. long, or raceme- 

 like and 1-2 cm. long 

 x. Lateral spikelets raceme-like, .5-2 cm. 

 long, the perigynia rarely crowded, 

 globoid or with a tiny abrupt point, 

 yellow to golden, smooth, ribbed C. aurea 



y. Lateral spikelets 3-8 mm. long, mostly 

 with crowded perigynia, the latter 

 not yellow or golden, hairy or smooth, 

 not ribbed 

 (x) Spikes erect; perigynia hairy 

 m. Stems erect, with running root- 

 stocks ; perigynia 3-4 mm. long; 

 beak about one-fourth of the 

 body C. pennsili'dnica 



n. Stems densely tufted, mat-like ; 

 spikes often hidden by leaves ; 

 perigynia 1-2.5 mm. long; beak 

 one-half to as long as body C. umbellata 



(y) .Spikes nodding, 4-10 mm. long, 2 

 mm. wide ; perigynia smooth, pale 

 green, 2 mm. long ; beak about 

 one-third as long as body C. capilldris 



