Class II. MONOCOTYLEDONOUS or ENDOGENOUS PLANTS. (continued 4)

[*] 1.—[+] 4. Pseudocypèræ.

[++] Spikes all erect or ascending.

17. C. Schweinítzìi, Dewey. Soft but erect, 1–2° high, stoloniferous, yellowish-green and becoming straw-colored in drying; culm flattish and smooth; leaves broad (3–4´´), the radical longer than the culm, the others mostly short; spikes 3–4, the lower one or two short-peduncled, narrowly long-cylindrical (1½–3´ long, 4´´ broad); perigynium thin and somewhat inflated, prominently few-nerved, the long beak short-toothed, ascending; scale awned and commonly rough at the tip, a little shorter than the perigynium.—Swamps, W. New Eng. to N. J., and west to Mich.; local.

[++][++] Spikes widely spreading or drooping.

18. C. hystricìna, Muhl. Slender but erect, 1–2° high; culm very sharply angled and rough, at least above; leaves rather narrow, roughish; spikes 1–3, borne near the top of the culm, the upper one often sessile, the remainder on more or less filiform stalks, short (rarely 1½´ long) and compactly flowered; perigynium greenish, very strongly 15–20-nerved, the very slender beak strongly toothed; scale linear and rough-awned, nearly or quite as long as the perigynium.—Swales, throughout; frequent. Often confounded with n. 16.

Var. Dudlèyi, Bailey. Taller; spikes larger and slimmer (1½–2½´ long), light straw-colored, all secund and widely divaricate or nodding; perigynium stronger toothed; scales usually more prominent.—Swales, Conn. (Wright), Ithaca, N. Y. (Dudley), Wisc. (Lapham).

19. C. Pseùdo-Cypèrus, L. Tall and stout, 2–3° high; culm thick and very sharply triangular, rough throughout; leaves very long, rough-margined; spikes 3–5, all slenderly peduncled and more or less drooping, all somewhat contiguous, long (mostly 2–3´) and narrowly cylindrical, very compactly flowered; perigynium elliptic-lanceolate, more or less 2-edged, many-costate, the beak shorter than the body, with erect short teeth, strongly reflexed; scale very rough-awned, about the length of the perigynium.—Swamps and lake-borders, N. Eng. to Penn., and Mich.; rare. (Eu.)

Var. Americàna, Hochst. Mostly stouter, the leaves broader (about ¼´); spikes thicker and commonly more drooping; perigynium longer, the beak mostly longer than the body and the teeth long and prominently spreading. (C. comosa, Boott.)—Swamps; common.

[*] 1.—[+] 5. Squarròsæ.

20. C. stenólepis, Torr. Stout and very leafy, 1–2° high; culm obtusely angled, very smooth; leaves about 3´´ broad, rough on the nerves, the upper and the bracts very much longer than the culm; terminal spike often pistillate at top; other spikes 3–5, the uppermost sessile on the zigzag rhachis, short (1–1½´ or less) and evenly cylindrical, often staminate at top; perigynium very abruptly contracted into a short but slender toothed beak, shorter than the long-linear and rough scale.—Swamps and meadows, central Penn., to N. Ohio, west and southward; frequent.

21. C. squarròsa, L. Cespitose, 2–3° high; culm sharply angled, more or less rough above; leaves broad and weak, roughish, exceeding the culm; bracts much less prominent than in the last; spikes 1–3, thick, the terminal always two-thirds pistillate or more, the remainder more or less stalked, erect or slightly nodding, globular or oblong-cylindric, brown, exceedingly densely flowered; perigynium larger, the beak rough; scale short and usually invisible.—Bogs, throughout; infrequent.

[*] 2. Trachychlænæ.—[+] 1. Shortiànæ.

22. C. Shortiàna, Dewey. Tall and slender but strict, in small clumps, 2–3° high; leaves about ¼´ broad, flat, rough on the nerves; spikes 3–5, somewhat approximate near the top of the culm, the lowest 2 or 3 short-peduncled, erect, small (1´ long or less, and 2´´ wide), evenly cylindrical, exceedingly densely flowered; perigynium small, circular or round-ovate, flat, sharp-edged, nerveless, the orifice entire, perfectly squarrose; scale thin and blunt, about the length of the perigynium.—Wet meadows, S. Penn. and Va. to Ill.; rare eastward.

[*] 2.—[+] 2. Anómalæ.

23. C. scabràta, Schwein. Tall and rather stout, very leafy, 1–3° high, culm sharply and very roughly angled; leaves broad and flat, very rough; spikes 3–5, scattered, the upper 1 or 2 sessile, the remainder often long-peduncled and sometimes nodding, 1–2´ long, narrowly cylindrical and compactly flowered; perigynium broadly ovate, prominently few-nerved, rough, the beak nearly as long as the body and slightly toothed; scale acute and rough-tipped, green-nerved, about as long as the body of the perigynium.—Wet meadows and glades, as far west as Mich.; common eastward.

[*] 2.—[+] 3. Hirtæ.

24. C. vestìta, Willd. Stout and stiff, 2–3° high; culm sharply angled, smooth or somewhat rough; leaves narrow and rather short, roughish; staminate spike 1, rarely 2, sessile or nearly so; pistillate spikes 2–5, approximate and sessile, or rarely the lowest sub-radical, often staminate at top, oblong or short-cylindric (rarely 1´ long), compactly flowered; perigynium ovate, nerved, stiffly hairy, short-beaked, the beak often purple, and white-hyaline at the orifice, which becomes more or less split with age; scale thin and blunt or acute, shorter than the perigynium.—Tufted in sandy soils, from N. Eng. to N. Y., and southward; frequent.

25. C. striàta, Michx., var. brèvis, Bailey. Stiff, 1½–2½° high; culm sharply angled, smooth or slightly rough above, mostly exceeding the leaves; leaves narrow and stiff, becoming involute; spikes 1–2, mostly closely sessile, considerably separated when two, short (rarely 1½´ long) and rather thick, erect; perigynium broad-ovate with impressed nerves, smooth, ascending, short-beaked and very short-toothed; scale thin, obtuse or acutish, mostly about ½ as long as the perigynium.—Pine-barren swamps, N. J., and southward; local.

26. C. Houghtònii, Torr. Stiff, 1–2° high, extensively creeping; culm rather sharply angled, rough, exceeding the leaves; leaves flat and very sharp-pointed; spikes 1–3, sessile or the lowest short-stalked, erect, varying from nearly globular to cylindric (1½´ long), compact; perigynium short-ovate, stiffly pubescent, prominently nerved and toothed; scale thin-margined, acute or awned, shorter than the perigynium.—Sandy knolls and banks from Maine to Minn. along our northern borders, and northwestward; rather local.

27. C. filifórmis, L. Tall and very slender but erect, 2–3° high; culm obtuse, smooth; leaves very long, involute-filiform, rough; spikes 1–3, sessile, somewhat scattered, erect, short and thick (rarely over 1´ long); perigynium very short-ovate, the teeth very short, the few nerves obscured by the dense stiff hairs; scale thin and blunt, about as long as the perigynium.—Bogs, throughout, north of Penn.; frequent. (Eu.)

Var. latifòlia, Boeckl. Culm mostly rough above; leaves flat, 1–2´´ broad; spikes usually somewhat slimmer and scales often sharper and longer. (C. lanuginosa, Michx.)—Swales and low meadows, throughout; common.

C. hírta, L. Variable in size (½–2° high), widely creeping; culm rather slender but erect, obtuse and smooth or slightly rough above; leaves soft and flat, generally sparsely hairy and the sheaths very hirsute, rarely smooth; spikes 2–3, distant, more or less shortly-peduncled, erect or nearly so, 1½´ long or less and rather loose; perigynium long-ovate, nerved, soft-hairy, the prominent beak slenderly toothed; scale thin and green-nerved, awned, mostly a little shorter.—E. Mass. to central N. Y. and Penn. (Nat. from Eu.)

[*] 2.—[+] 4. Paludòsæ.

[++] Teeth slender, mostly spreading.

28. C. trichocárpa, Muhl. Stout and tall, 2–3° high; culm sharply angled, rough above; leaves very numerous, flat and very rough, but not hairy, much exceeding the culm; spikes 2–5, scattered, the lower stalked and more or less spreading, long and heavy (1–4´) but loosely flowered at base; perigynium long-ovate, many-costate, sparsely short-hairy, about twice as long as the membranaceous, acute or acuminate scale.—Marshes; frequent.—Var. imbérbis, Gray. Mostly smaller throughout; perigynium smooth; scales usually sharper and longer. Drier places, N. Y. to Mo.; infrequent.

Var. Dewèyi, Bailey. Leaves narrower, often becoming somewhat involute, smoother; spikes short (seldom over 1½´ long), all but the lowest one sessile; perigynium smooth, thick in texture, becoming polished with age, the nerves impressed; scales sharp, mostly a little shorter than the perigynium.—Dakota (Seymour), and northwestward. Resembles small forms of n. 29.

Var. aristàta, Bailey. Mostly stouter; leaves more or less hairy on the under surface and sheaths; perigynium usually longer, smooth, the teeth longer and more spreading. (C. aristata, R. Br.)—N. Eng. to Minn.; rare eastward.

[++][++] Teeth short, erect or very nearly so.

29. C. ripària, W. Curtis. Very large and stout, 2–4° high, stoloniferous; leaves mostly broad, flat, rough, glaucous, much longer than the sharply angled culm; spikes 2–4, scattered and all more or less peduncled, the lowest often very long-stalked, varying from almost globular in starved plants to 3–4´ long, erect or the lower somewhat drooping, loosely flowered below; perigynium ovate-lanceolate, coriaceous, rather lightly many-nerved, becoming polished, the beak short and thick; scale varying from blunt to awned, shorter or longer than the perigynium.—Swales; common. (Eu.)

C. acutifórmis, Ehrh. Stout, 2–3° high; culm thick and sharp, mostly smooth; leaves broad, flat and glaucous, much prolonged; spikes 3–5, all but the uppermost peduncled, spreading or drooping, narrowly cylindric (2–3´ long), loosely flowered below; perigynium ovate, very strongly many-nerved, the short beak slightly toothed; scale rough-awned and longer than the perigynium. (C. paludosa, Gooden.)—Swales, Dorchester, and New Bedford, Mass. (Nat. from Eu.) The former station has been recently destroyed.

[*] 3. Microrhynchæ.—[+] 1. Atràtæ.

[++] Alpine; plant small.

30. C. alpìna, Swartz. Small and slender, ½–2° high; culm thin and obtuse, smooth or roughish, naked above; leaves narrow and flat, shorter than the culm; spikes commonly 3, sometimes 2 or 4, aggregated, globular and very small, all closely sessile or rarely the lowest exceedingly short-stalked; perigynium orbicular or obovate, nerveless or nearly so, the short beak slightly notched, a little longer than the ovate and black mostly obtuse scale.—Isle Royale, L. Superior. (Eu.)

31. C. atràta, L., var. ovàta, Boott. Very slender but erect, 1–2° high; culm rather sharp, roughish above; leaves narrow but flat, shorter than the culm; spikes 3–5, all but the terminal one on slender stalks ½–2´ long, drooping when mature, 1´ long or less, ovate-oblong or short-cylindric, reddish-brown; perigynium broadly ovate, thin and puncticulate, very short-beaked, the orifice slightly notched; scale blunt, thin-margined, about as long as the perigynium. (C. atrata, Man.)—White Mountains, N. H., Smugglers' Notch, Vt. (Brainerd), and northward.

[++][++] Paludose; plant larger.

32. C. fúsca, All. Rather slender but stiff, 1–3° high; culm sharp, roughish above; leaves very narrow, rough, mostly shorter than the culm; spikes 2–4, the terminal rarely all staminate, all sessile and approximate or the lowest sometimes very short-stalked, varying from globular to narrowly cylindric (often becoming 1½´ long), dark brown or variegated; perigynium elliptic and beakless, whitish and granular, nearly nerveless, the orifice entire; staminate scales very long-lanceolate, the pistillate lance-ovate and very sharp, conspicuously longer than the perigynium. (C. Buxbaumii, Wahl.)—Bogs, throughout; frequent. (Eu.)

[*] 3.—[+] 2. Rígidæ.

33. C. vulgàris, Fries. Low and stiff, about 1° or sometimes 18´ high; culm sharp, smooth or rather rough above; leaves narrow and stiff, shorter than the culm, glaucous blue; staminate spike sessile or nearly so; spikes 2–4, all sessile or rarely the lowest very short-stalked, short and erect (1´ long or less), very densely flowered or sometimes becoming loose below, the lowest subtended by a bract 1–3´ long; perigynium appressed, oval or round-ovate, mostly finely striate toward the base, the beak entire or very nearly so, bright green until over-mature; scale ovate and very obtuse, purple with a faint white nerve, conspicuously narrower and shorter than the perigynium, thus causing the spike in the growing plant to assume a characteristic green-and-black appearance.—Swales and low meadows along the sea-board, from Mass. northward; common. (Eu.)

Var. strictifórmis, Bailey. Taller (1½–2½° high) and looser; culms slender; leaves long and narrow, lax, scarcely glaucous; staminate spike longer peduncled; pistillate spikes looser and often longer, mostly brown or tawny-green. (C. limula, Man.)—Swales from E. Penn. northward, near the seaboard; frequent. Often confounded with n. 34, but easily distinguished by the non-cespitose habit, sheaths not fibrillose, and the short scales very obtuse.

Var. hyperbòrea, Boott. Somewhat stoloniferous, low, often smaller than the type; spikes shorter and mostly loosely flowered, often becoming very thin; scales generally longer, giving the spikes a darker color; stigmas often 3. (C. rigida, var. (?) Bigelovii, Tuckerm.)—Alpine summits of N. H., Vt., and N. Y. (Eu.)

[*] 3.—[+] 3. Acùtæ.

[++] Stigmas 2; scales not conspicuously acute, or if so, divaricate.

[=] Spikes erect, or rarely spreading in n. 34.

34. C. strícta, Lam. Tall and slender but erect, 2–4° high, generally in dense clumps when old, or rarely in small tufts; culm sharp, rough above; leaves long and narrow, rough on the edges, the lowest sheaths usually becoming prominently fibrillose; 1 or 2 lowest bracts leafy and equalling the culm; spikes 3–5, variable in size and shape, scattered, the lowest usually more or less peduncled and clavate and the others sessile, erect or spreading, oblong or cylindric (½–2´ long and 2–3´´ broad), all compactly flowered above but often attenuate at base (or rarely alternate-flowered throughout), the upper mostly staminate at top, all greenish-purple or pallid; perigynium ovate and small, tawny, mostly lightly few-nerved and somewhat granular, the beak very short and commonly entire; scale obtuse to nearly acute, about equalling the perigynium or a little shorter.—Swales, throughout; abundant and variable.

Var. angustàta. Stricter; spikes longer and narrower (3–4´ long about 1½´´ broad), never clavate, more approximate and always erect, the staminate portion usually much longer (often 1–2´), rust-colored; scales narrower and sharper, mostly longer than the perigynium. (C. angustata, Boott, in part.)—Same range as the type, but less common.

Var. decòra, Bailey. Usually smaller; basal sheaths rarely fibrillose; spikes shorter (seldom over 1´ long), sessile or very nearly so, rarely attenuate at base, spreading, the terminal staminate flowers few, rust-colored; bracts more spreading; scales very sharp and spreading, longer than the perigynium. (C. aperta, Man.)—N. Eng. to Wisc.; rather rare.

C. strícta × filifórmis. Leaves and culms very slender; spikes short (1´ long or less), sessile and compact, the upper 1 or 2 scarcely bracted, pallid; perigynium small, smooth.—Keweenaw Co., Mich. (Farwell.) Exactly intermediate between the two species.

35. C. aquátilis, Wahl. Large and stout, glaucous, 2–4° high; culm very obtuse and smooth; leaves exceedingly long, broader than in the last, the bracts broad and prolonged far beyond the culm; spikes 3–5, 1–2´ long, very compact or the lowest sometimes attenuate below, erect, thick (3´´ broad or less); perigynium round-ovate or broadly elliptic, nerveless, greenish, imbricated; scale obtuse and much shorter and narrower than the perigynium.—Swamps and lake-margins, N. Eng. to Minn.; not common. (Eu.)

36. C. lenticulàris, Michx. Rather slender but erect, pale throughout, 1–2° high; culm sharp, usually slightly rough above; leaves very narrow, numerous, much surpassing the culm; spikes 3–6, more or less aggregated or the lowest remote, the terminal androgynous or staminate, mostly sessile, erect; perigynium ovate, minutely granular, brown-nerved, the tip empty and entire; scale pale and obtuse, about ½ the length of the perigynium.—Gravelly borders of ponds and lakes, northern N. Eng. to Minn.; mostly local.

[=][=] Spikes widely spreading or drooping.

37. C. tórta, Boott. Slender but erect, 1½–2½° high, in clumps, with exceedingly tough and cord-like roots; culm rather sharp, smooth or roughish above; leaves flat and rather soft, those of the culm very short; spikes 3–5, mostly somewhat approximate or the lower remote, the upper sessile and ascending but the others drooping, long and slender (often 3´ long, 2´´ broad or less); perigynium lance-ovate, thin and green, nerveless, the slim upper half empty and more or less tortuous, the beak entire or erose; scale purple-margined and very obtuse, shorter than the perigynium.—Cold banks and swamps, Vt. to N. C.; infrequent.

[++][++] Stigmas 2; scales long-acute and ascending.

38. C. salìna, Wahl., var. cuspidàta, Wahl. Rather stout, 1–2½° high; culm rather sharp, smooth; leaves narrow but flat; spikes 2–4, somewhat approximate, the lowest 1 or 2 very short-stalked, erect, short (1½´ or less) and rather thick, the lower subtended by leaf-like bracts 3–4´ long; perigynium elliptic, somewhat granular, marked with 2 or 3 nerves or nerveless, the minute beak entire; scale brown-margined, produced into a lighter and rough awn much exceeding the perigynium. (C. salina, Man.)—Salt marshes, Mass., and along the coast northward; rare in the United States. (Eu.) Anomalous forms, which appear to be hybrids, have been separated as

C. strícta × salìna, Bailey. Spikes thinner and more scattered, more inclined to be peduncled; scales blunt or short-awned, little exceeding the perigynium.—Near Boston, Mass., W. Boott, Morong.

[++][++][++] Stigmas 3.

39. C. prasìna, Wahl. Slender, somewhat flexuose, 1½–2½° high; culm rather sharp, smooth; leaves very narrow, soft and flat, rough; spikes 2–3, peduncled and spreading or drooping, somewhat approximate, green, 1–2´ long, narrow and loosely flowered; perigynium pale, narrowly triangular-ovate, thin, nearly nerveless, produced into a short but slender entire or minutely toothed beak; scale very thin and acute, nearly colorless, shorter than the perigynium. (C. miliacea, Muhl.)—Meadows and bogs, Vt. to Mich., and southward; infrequent.

[*] 3.—[+] 4. Cryptocárpæ.

40. C. marítima, O. F. Mueller. Mostly stout, 1–2½° high; culm sharp, smooth or rough above; spikes 2–6, scattered, all or all but the upper one on very long weak stalks and pendulous, 1–3´ long and thick and bushy, usually staminate at top; perigynium nearly orbicular, pale, few-nerved or nerveless, the beak very short and entire or nearly so; scale produced into a greenish rough awn 3–8 times as long as the perigynium.—Salt marshes of the coast, Mass., Maine, and northward; not common. Leaves smooth, broad and flat. (Eu.)

41. C. crinìta, Lam. Robust and mostly stout, 2–4° high; culm sharp and rough or sometimes smooth; leaves about 3´´ broad, flat, more or less rough on the nerves and margins; spikes 3–6, somewhat scattered, all variously peduncled, mostly secund, curved and drooping (or in small forms rarely nearly erect), 1–4´ long, narrowly and evenly cylindric, compact or attenuate below, often staminate at top; perigynium ovate, thin and puncticulate, obscurely nerved, the minute point entire; scale greenish-brown and rough-awned, 2–3 times as long as the perigynium. (C. gynandra, Schwein.)—Swales; common.—Var. mìnor, Boott. Much smaller in all its parts, 10–18´ high; leaves narrow; spikes 3–4, 1½´ long or less, less drooping; scales less prominent.—Maine to N. Y.; scarce. Somewhat resembles n. 39.

C. crinìta × tórta, Bailey. More slender than C. crinita, the leaves narrower; spikes nearly as slender as those of C. torta; scales blunt or simply acute and little longer than the perigynium, or sometimes very short-awned.—Moist meadows near the Glen House, White Mts. (Brainerd). Might be mistaken for drooping spiked forms of n. 34.

[*] 3.—[+] 5. Pendulìnæ.

[++] Spikes narrowly cylindrical.

42. C. littoràlis, Schwein. Somewhat slender but erect, 1–2° high; leaves narrow and rather stiff, flat, glaucous, shorter than the sharp and nearly smooth culm; staminate spikes 1–3, dark purple, 1½´ long or less, the scales obtuse; pistillate spikes 2–4, somewhat approximate, on thread-like peduncles, 1–2´ long, usually staminate at top; perigynium lance-oval, faintly nerved, the minute beak entire, mostly longer than the obtuse purple scale; bracts prominently purple-auricled. (C. Barrattii, Schwein. & Torr.)—Marshes near the coast, N. J. and southward; rare.

[++][++] Spikes globular or oblong.

[=] Scales very sharp, prominently longer than the perigynium.

43. C. Magellánica, Lam. Slender but erect, 8–18´ high; leaves flat and lax, somewhat shorter than the culm; lowest bract as wide as the leaves or nearly so and exceeding the culm; spikes 2–3, approximate, all slenderly stalked and drooping; perigynium orbicular or broad-ovate, nerved in the centre, ½–{2/3} the length of the scale. (C. irrigua, Smith.)—Deep swamps, throughout, north of Penn.; local. (Eu.)

[=][=] Scales blunt, little exceeding the perigynium.

44. C. rariflòra, Smith. Very small but stiff, 4–10´ high, somewhat stoloniferous; culm obtuse and very smooth; leaves very narrow, becoming involute, shorter than the culm; spikes 1–2, only 3–10-flowered, drooping, borne in the axil of a minute awl-like and purple-auricled bract; perigynium ovate, nearly pointless, obscurely nerved, mostly a little shorter than the enveloping scale.—Mt. Katahdin, Maine (Goodale). (Eu.)

45. C. limòsa, L. Slender but rather stiff, 1–2° high, stoloniferous; culm sharp, rough above; leaves very narrow, strongly keeled or involute; spikes 1–2, nodding on short stalks or the upper one erect, oblong, springing from the axil of a very narrow bract which is nearly always shorter than the culm; perigynium very short-pointed, about the length of the broad scale.—Deep swamps, throughout, north of Penn.; local. (Eu.)

[*] 4. Hymenochlæ̀næ.—[+] 1. Virescéntes.

46. C. viréscens, Muhl. Slender, erect or spreading, 1–1½° high; leaves very narrow, more or less hairy; spikes 3–5, green, short-oblong, all somewhat stalked and often spreading, compact (1½´´ thick or less); perigynium ovate and costate, very hairy, longer than the thin and white acute scale.—Var. costàta, Dewey, usually the commoner form, is taller (often reaching 2½°), with spikes long-cylindric, ½–2´ long, and a stronger ribbed perigynium.—Banks and copses, N. Eng. to Mich., and southward; common eastward.

47. C. trìceps, Michx., var. hirsùta, Bailey. Usually stiffer; leaves hairy; spikes 2–4 (usually 3), all contiguous or occasionally the lowest somewhat removed, sessile, short-oblong or globular, green or brown (2–3´´ thick); perigynium broad-ovate, flattish, very obtuse, often sparsely hirsute when young but smooth at maturity; staminate scales very sharp; pistillate scales acute or short-awned, about the length of or shorter than the perigynium.—Dry copses and fields, N. Eng. to Mo., and southward; rare northward.—Var. Smíthii, Porter. Tall, slender, olive-green, the leaves very long, very nearly smooth; spikes small, globular or short-cylindrical (½´ long or less), the lowest often somewhat remote, all more inclined to be peduncled; perigynium globular and turgid, brown, squarrose, giving the spike a characteristic plump appearance.—Fields and woodlands, southern N. J., E. Penn., and southward; also in Ark.; frequent.

[*] 4.—[+] 2. Sylváticæ.

48. C. longiróstris, Torr. Very slender but erect, 1½–3° high, growing in stools; leaves narrow, flat, loose; spikes 3–5, 1–2´ long, loosely flowered, drooping; perigynium thin, slightly inflated, green, nearly nerveless, spreading, the beak longer than the body, about the length of the awned scale.—Shady banks from N. Eng. to Neb., and northward; frequent.—Var. mìnor, Boott. Smaller and slenderer; spikes 9´´ long or less, very narrow and very loosely or even alternately few-flowered; perigynium smaller. Neb. and westward.

[*] 4.—[+] 3. Fléxiles.

49. C. castànea, Wahl. Slender but erect, 1–2½° high; leaves broad and flat, hairy, much shorter than the rough culm; spikes 2–4, approximate, widely spreading or drooping on filiform stalks, 1´ long or less, rather dense, tawny; perigynium broad lanceolate, gradually narrowed into a beak ½ as long as the body, thin, with a nerve on each side, longer than the light brown or whitish acute thin scale. (C. flexilis, Rudge.)—Banks, Conn. to Minn.; local.

C. arctàta × castànea, Bailey. Leaves mostly narrower, less hairy or smooth; spikes very slender and loosely flowered (scarcely over 1´´ wide), erect or drooping, chestnut color; perigynium thin, long-ovate, shorter-beaked, lightly nerved, mostly surpassing the pointed whitish scale. (C. Knieskernii, Dewey.)—Oneida Co., N. Y.; Keweenaw Co., Mich. (Farwell); N. Minn.

50. C. capillàris, L. Very slender but erect, 2–12´ high; culm smooth, longer than the narrow flat or at length involute leaves; spikes 2–4, either scattered or approximate, all more or less long-peduncled and drooping, borne in the axils of conspicuous sheathing bracts, very small (3–12-flowered); perigynium thin, very small, oblong-ovoid, the beak hyaline-lipped, longer than the very obtuse white scale.—Alpine summits of the White Mts.; Cortland, N. Y., Alcona Co., Mich., and Point de Tour, L. Huron. (Eu.)

[*] 4.—[+] 4. Débiles.

[++] Perigynium thin, rarely with more than two prominent nerves.

51. C. arctàta, Boott. Slender, erect, 1–2° high; radical leaves much shorter than the culm and very broad (2½–5´´), flat; bracts broad and short, long-sheathing; spikes 3–5, all widely spreading or drooping on filiform stalks, 1–3´ long and exceedingly slender; perigynium short (2´´ long or less), abruptly and conspicuously stipitate and abruptly contracted into a beak, 3-cornered, prominently nerved, green, mostly spreading, scarcely longer than the very sharp or cuspidate scale.—Woods and copses, N. Eng. to Penn. and Minn.; common.

Var. Faxòni, Bailey. Spikes shorter and usually short-peduncled, erect or nearly so, much more densely flowered, part of them commonly contiguous at the top of the culm, rendering the shorter staminate spike inconspicuous; perigynium usually larger.—Lisbon, N. H. (Faxon); Keweenaw Co., Mich. (Farwell); extreme northern Minn. (Bailey); also in Canada.

52. C. débilis, Michx., var. Rúdgei, Bailey. Very slender and diffuse, 1–2½° high (or rarely reduced to 3–4´!); leaves narrow and lax, longer than the culm; spikes mostly heavier than in the last; perigynium much longer, very gradually narrowed at each end, scarcely angled and not prominently nerved, rusty when ripe, erect, twice longer than the obtuse or acutish scale. (C. debilis, of last ed.)—Copses, N. Eng. to N. Mich., and southward; frequent east and southward.—Var stríctior, Bailey. Usually taller, strict; leaves broader (about 2´´ wide) and firmer; spikes stiffer, simply spreading or even erect; perigynium mostly shorter and greener, often little exceeding the scale. White Mts. (Faxon).—Var pùbera, Gray. Perigynium usually more slender, more nerved and minutely pubescent. Center and Lancaster Counties, Penn. (Porter, Lumsden), and Bedford Co., Va. (Curtiss).

C. débilis × viréscens, Bailey. Plant slender and very green; leaves flat, rough, mostly longer than the culm, spikes 2–3, 2´ long, thin and slender, erect or nearly so, the terminal one bearing a few pistillate flowers at top; perigynium exactly intermediate between the two species, lance-ovate, nerved and slightly hairy, short-beaked, thin, twice longer than the scale.—Revere, near Boston, Mass. (Faxon).

[++][++] Perigynium firm, prominently many-nerved.

53. C. venústa, Dewey, var. mìnor, Boeckl. Slender but strict, 1½–2° high; leaves narrow and strict, about as long as the culm; spikes 1–2´ long, scattered, the upper usually ascending, the terminal one sometimes staminate at top; perigynium ascending, the very short and stout beak prominently toothed, thrice longer than the rusty narrow scale. (C. glabra, Boott.)—Sphagnous swamps, Oneida Co., N. Y., N. J., and southward; local.

[*] 4.—[+] 5. Gracíllimæ.

[++] Perigynium small, scarcely turgid.

54. C. æstivàlis, M. A. Curtis. Slender but erect, 1–1½° high; leaves very narrow, flat, shorter than the culm, the sheaths pubescent; spikes 3–4, erect or spreading, 1–2´ long and very loosely flowered, all but the lowest short-stalked; perigynium very small, ovate, scarcely pointed and the orifice entire, few-nerved, about twice longer than the obtuse scale.—Saddle Mountain, W. Mass., and southward in the mountains to N. C.; rare.

55. C. gracíllima, Schwein. Tall and slender, sometimes diffuse, 1½–3° high; leaves broad and flat (the radical about 3´´ wide), very dark and bright green; spikes 3–4, scattered, the terminal rarely staminate, densely flowered except at base, peduncled and drooping, green; perigynium ovate, thin and slightly swollen, nerved, obtuse, orifice entire, twice longer than the very obtuse scale.—Woodlands and low meadows, throughout; common.—In poorer soil and sunny places, it runs into var. hùmilis, Bailey, and is then smaller, has much narrower leaves and very small erect spikes (2–12-flowered), and mostly smaller perigynia.

C. gracíllima × hirsùta, Bailey. In habit like var. humilis; spikes tawny; perigynium like that of C. triceps, var. hirsuta; plant smooth, or very minutely pubescent under a strong lens.—Philipstown, N. Y. (Barratt).

C. gracíllima × pubéscens, Bailey. Tall and erect; leaves narrower than in the last, usually slightly hairy; spikes slender, erect or slightly spreading, often staminate at top; perigynium exactly intermediate between the two species, ovate, obscurely nerved, sparsely hairy, beaked, about the length of the ovate ciliate rough-awned scale. (C. Sullivantii, Boott.)—Columbus, Ohio (Sullivant); Yonkers, N. Y. (E. C. Howe); Stanton, Del. (Commons).

[++][++] Perigynium large, prominently inflated.

56. C. formòsa, Dewey. Slender, erect, 1–2½° high; leaves flat, mostly rather broad, those of the culm very short; spikes 3–5, scattered, oblong or short-cylindrical (1´ long or less), compact, all flexuose or drooping; perigynium ovate, puncticulate, obscurely nerved, short-beaked with a slightly notched orifice, all but the lowest one or two twice longer than the blunt or cuspidate scale.—Woods and copses, Vt. to Mich.; local.

57. C. Davísii, Schwein. & Torr. Always taller; spikes heavier; perigynium more inflated, strongly nerved and prominently toothed, no longer or shorter than the conspicuously awned and spreading scale.—Wet meadows, W. Mass. to S. Minn., and southward; rare east and northward.

[*] 4.—[+] 6. Gríseæ.

58. C. grísea, Wahl. Stout, 1–2° high; leaves broad (2–3´´) and slightly glaucous; bracts broad and leaf-like, diverging, very much exceeding the culm; staminate spike small and sessile; pistillate spikes 3–4, short (1´ long or less), the highest two usually contiguous to the staminate spike and sessile, the others somewhat remote and peduncled, all erect, compact; perigynium oblong, pointless, marked with impressed nerves, turgid and cylindric, all but the lowest longer than the narrow, cuspidate or blunt, nerved scale.—Moist grounds, throughout, except along our northern borders; common.—Var. angustifòlia, Boott. Much more slender; leaves scarcely half so wide, the bracts, especially, much narrower and shorter and more erect; spikes slender, perigynium scarcely inflated, triangular-oblong, bearing a sharp beak-like point, 2-ranked; scale nerveless, long-awned and spreading. N. J. to S. Ohio, and southward; common.—Var. globòsa, Bailey. Low, 3–12´ high, often spreading; spikes few-flowered, often with but 2 or 3 perigynia; perigynium short, inflated, very blunt, nearly globose or obovate; scale short, not prominently cuspidate or the upper ones wholly blunt. Mo., Kan., and southward.

Var. (?) rígida, Bailey. Rigid; leaves rather narrow, long and erect; staminate spike prominently peduncled; pistillate spikes scattered, all more or less stalked, conspicuously 2 ranked; perigynium triangular-oblong, hard, longer than the cuspidate ascending scale.—Sellersville, Penn., and Del.

59. C. glaucodèa, Tuckerm. Lax or somewhat strict (6–18´ high), densely glaucous; leaves flat, variable in width; spikes as in n. 58; perigynium firm, not inflated, prominently impressed-nerved, glaucous, longer than the short-cuspidate or blunt thin and appressed scale. (C. flaccosperma, last ed.)—Meadows and swamps, Mass. to S. Ill., and southward; local.

[*] 5. Spirostàchyæ.—[+] 1. Granulàres.

60. C. granulàris, Muhl. Erect or spreading, 8´–2° high, somewhat glaucous; leaves flat, various; bracts broad and long, much exceeding the culm; spikes 3–4, scattered, all but the upper peduncled, erect or ascending, compact, short-oblong to cylindric, never exceeding 1´ in length; staminate spike small and usually sessile; perigynium ovoid, very strongly nerved, the nearly entire short beak usually bent; scale thin and pointed, about ½ the length of the perigynium.—Moist grassy places; common.—Var. haleàna, Porter. Habitually lower and more slender; radical leaves very broad (3–4´´) and more glaucous; pistillate spikes ½´ long or less, thinner; perigynium a half smaller, narrower. Wisc. to Va.; infrequent.

61. C. Cràwei, Dewey. Low, strict, stoloniferous (4–12´ high); leaves narrow; bracts scarcely exceeding the culm; spikes 2–4, scattered, the lowest radical or nearly so, short-peduncled or the upper sessile, erect, compact, 9´´ long or less; staminate spike generally peduncled; perigynium ovate, usually resinous dotted, obscurely or few-nerved, very short-pointed, longer than the obtuse or short-pointed scale.—Moist places, N. Y. to Ill. and Minn.; local, especially eastward.

[*] 5.—[+] 2. Exténsæ.

C. exténsa, Gooden. Slender but strict, 1–2° high; leaves involute; spikes about 3, the lowest remote and short-peduncled, the remainder approximate and sessile, short (about ½´ long) and compact; perigynium ovate, very strongly nerved, ascending, the short stout beak sharply toothed, longer than the blunt brown-edged scale.—Long Island and Coney Island, N. Y.; Norfolk, Va., McMinn. (Nat. from Eu.)

62. C. flàva, L. Very slender but strict and stiff, 1–2° high, yellowish throughout; leaves flat but narrow, mostly shorter than the culm; staminate spike sessile or nearly so, usually oblique; pistillate spikes 2–4, all contiguous or rarely the lowest one remote, all but the lowest sessile, short-oblong or globular, densely flowered, the lowest subtended by a long divaricate bract; perigynium ovate, produced into a deflexed beak as long as the body, strongly nerved, thrice longer than the blunt scale.—Swales and wet meadows, N. Eng. to L. Superior; rare westward. (Eu.)—Var. gráminis, Bailey. Smaller and green, 6–12´ high; leaves mostly longer than the culm; bracts erect; perigynium straight or nearly so, the beak often rough. Grassy places, probably common and generally distributed.

Var. virídula, Bailey. Small and slender, very strict, green or greenish-white; leaves narrow, equalling or exceeding the culm; bracts long and strictly erect, spikes very small or sometimes becoming cylindric, more closely aggregated; perigynium conspicuously smaller, the beak very short and straight. (C. Œderi, last ed.)—Cold bogs, N. Eng. to Penn., and northwestward; local.

[*] 5.—[+] 3. Pallescéntes.

[++] Perigynium wholly beakless.

63. C. palléscens, L. Slender, erect, 4´–2° high, tufted; leaves narrow, flat, the lower slightly pubescent, particularly on the sheaths; spikes 2–4, ½´ long or less, densely flowered, all but the upper one very shortly peduncled, erect or spreading; perigynium globular-oblong, thin and very nearly nerveless, about the length of the cuspidate scale.—Glades and meadows, N. Eng. to Penn., Wisc. and L. Superior; rare westward. (Eu.)

[++][++] Perigynium very stout-beaked.

64. C. Torrèyi, Tuckerm. Stiff, 1–1½° high; culm and leaves thinly pubescent; spikes all sessile, very short; perigynium obovate, very strongly many-nerved, retuse, the beak short and straight, equalling or exceeding the mostly cuspidate scale.—Supposed to have been collected, a half-century ago, in N. Y. by Torrey, and in Penn. by Schweinitz. It occurs in the Rocky Mountain region, and high northward.

[*] 6. Dactylostàchyæ.—[+] 1. Oligocárpæ.

[++] Sheaths smooth.

65. C. conoídea, Schkuhr. Slender but strict, 1–1½° high; staminate spike long-peduncled or rarely nearly sessile; spikes 2–3, scattered, short-stalked or the upper one sessile (the lowest frequently very long-stalked), oblong (rarely 1´ long) and rather loosely flowered, erect; perigynium oblong-conical, impressed-nerved, gradually narrowed to a point, the orifice entire; scale loosely spreading and rough-awned, equalling or exceeding the perigynium.—Moist grassy places, N. Eng. to Ill., and southward; rare westward.

66. C. oligocárpa, Schkuhr. Diffuse, 10–18´ high; bracts flat and spreading; staminate spike sessile or stalked; spikes 2–4, scattered, stalked or the uppermost sessile, loosely 2–8-flowered, erect; perigynium small, hard, finely impressed-nerved, abruptly contracted into a conspicuous mostly oblique beak, the orifice entire; scale very loosely spreading and rough-awned, longer than the perigynium.—Dry woods and copses, W. New Eng. to Mo., and southward; rare westward. Often confounded with small forms of n. 58.

[++][++] Sheaths pubescent.

67. C. Hitchcockiàna, Dewey. Erect, 1½–2° high; spikes 2–4, all more or less peduncled, very loosely few-flowered, erect; perigynium triangular-ovate, many-striate, the strong beak prominently oblique, shorter than the rough-awned scale.—Rich woods, W. New Eng. to Ill., and southward to Penn. and Ky.; frequent.

[*] 6.—[+] 2. Laxiflòræ.

[++] Sheaths green.

[=] Perigynium mostly obscurely triangular, the beak very prominent.

68. C. laxiflòra, Lam. Slender but mostly erect, 1–2° high; leaves rarely over 2´´ wide, rather soft; staminate spike peduncled or at least conspicuous; pistillate spikes 2–4, scattered, peduncled or the upper one sessile, loosely flowered, cylindric or sometimes reduced to short-oblong, erect or the lower loosely spreading; perigynium obovate, conspicuously nerved, the short entire beak much bent or recurved; scale thin and white, blunt or cuspidate, mostly shorter than the perigynium.—Grassy places, throughout; common. Exceedingly variable.—Var. vàrians, Bailey. Mostly stouter than the type, the leaves broader; pistillate spikes ½–1´ long, the two upper more or less contiguous to the staminate spike and sessile or nearly so; bracts leafy and prolonged.—Copses and grassy places, throughout; common. Counterfeits var. patulifolia.—Var. striátula, Carey. Diffuse; pistillate spikes rarely over ½´ long, the upper sessile and aggregated about the inconspicuous staminate spike, the lowest usually long-exserted. Grassy places, throughout; very common.—Var. latifòlia, Boott. Rather low; leaves ½´ broad or more; staminate spike sessile or very nearly so; pistillate spikes cylindric and loose, the upper one or two contiguous; bracts very broad. Deep rich woods, E. Mass. (Deane) to Penn. and Mich.; common westward.—Var. patulifòlia, Carey. Glaucous; leaves 3´´ broad or more; staminate spike prominent, mostly stalked; pistillate spikes long and alternately flowered, scattered and peduncled; perigynium (as in the following varieties) elliptic, attenuate at both ends, mostly less prominently nerved, and the beak not strongly recurved. Open places, N. Eng. to Mich., and southward; frequent.—Var. divaricàta, Bailey. Tall and stout; leaves narrower; staminate spike large and stalked; pistillate spikes scattered, all but the upper one prominently peduncled, long; perigynium very large, divaricate, triangular, contracted into a stipe-like base at least half as long as the body. Near Washington, Vasey.—Var. stylofléxa, Boott. Very weak and slender; leaves 2´´ wide or less; staminate spike usually peduncled; pistillate 2–3, scattered, few-flowered, lowest drooping; perigynium very long-pointed. S. E. Penn., and southward; frequent.

[=][=] Perigynium sharply triangular, short, and mostly not prominently beaked.

a. Spikes drooping or flexuose.

69. C. digitàlis, Willd. Very slender, bright green, tufted, 6–18´ high; leaves very narrow (1–2´´ wide); staminate spike short stalked; pistillate spikes 2–4, all on filiform stalks and all but the upper widely spreading or drooping, linear, alternately flowered; perigynium very small, impressed-nerved, longer than the acute whitish scale.—Dryish woods and glades, N. Eng. to Mich., and southward; frequent.—Var. copulàta, Bailey. Leaves much broader, and the culms weak and reclined; spikes heavier and mostly shorter; perigynium larger, very sharp. Rich woods, central Mich., and probably elsewhere westward.

70. C. laxicúlmis, Schwein. Differs from the variety of n. 69 chiefly in its more cespitose habit, its densely glaucous-blue covering, very slender culm, and very long and filiform peduncles. (C. retrocurva, Dewey.)—Glades, N. Eng. to Mich. and Va.; rare westward.

b. Spikes erect.

71. C. ptychocárpa, Steudel. Low, glaucous, 3–10´ high; leaves flat and rather broad (2´´ or more), much exceeding the culm; bracts leafy and much prolonged; staminate spike very small and sessile, mostly overtopped by the upper pistillate spike; pistillate spikes 2–3, sessile or short-stalked or rarely the lowest long-peduncled, erect; perigynium tawny, much as in n. 69, twice longer than the very thin obtuse scale.—Low grounds or swamps, E. Mass., N. J., Del., and southward; local.

72. C. platyphýlla, Carey. Low, spreading, glaucous, 6–12´ high; leaves ½´ broad or more, mostly shorter than the culms; bracts with thin and sharp-pointed leaf-like tips 1–2´ long; staminate spike stalked; pistillate spikes 2–3, scattered, all more or less peduncled, alternately 2–10-flowered; perigynium short, strongly many-striate, about the length of the acute or cuspidate scale.—Rich shady woods and banks, N. Eng. to Mich., and southward to Va.; mostly local.

73. C. Careyàna, Torr. Tall and slender, mostly erect, 1–2° high; leaves bright green, firm, 3–4´´ wide or more, shorter than the long culm; bracts leafy, longer than in the last; staminate spike heavy and stalked; pistillate spikes 2–3 (mostly 2), the upper usually near the terminal spike, and nearly sessile, the other remote and long-peduncled, loosely 2–8-flowered; perigynium very large and very sharply angled, the beak oblique, finely many-nerved, twice longer than the sharp scale.—Rich woods, N. Eng. to Mich., and southward to Washington; rare.

[++][++] Sheaths usually purple.

74. C. plantagínea, Lam. Slender but erect, 1–2° high; leaves ½–1´ broad, very firm, appearing after the flowers and persisting over winter, shorter than the culm; staminate spike purple and clavate, stalked; pistillate spikes 3–4, scattered, loosely few-flowered, erect, the peduncles included in the leafless sheaths; perigynium smaller than in n. 73, prominently beaked, about as long as the sharp scale.—Rich woods, N. Eng. to Wisc., and southward; local.

[*] 6.—[+] 3. Paníceæ.

[++] Beak cylindrical and prominent; plant not glaucous.

75. C. Saltuénsis, Bailey. Very slender and more or less diffuse, strongly stoloniferous, 1–1½° high; leaves narrow and soft, shorter than the culm; spikes 2–3, scattered, all peduncled and more or less spreading, loosely 3–10-flowered; perigynium small, nearly nerveless, thin, the beak straight and sharply toothed; scale loose, acute, shorter than the perigynium. (C. vaginata, last ed.)—Deep swamps, Vt. to Minn.; local.

76. C. polymórpha, Muhl. Stout, 1–2° high; leaves rather broad, short; spikes 1–2, short-stalked, erect, compact or rarely loose, usually staminate at the apex, 1½´ long or less; perigynium long-ovate, obscurely nerved; the very long and nearly straight beak oblique or lipped at the orifice; scale reddish-brown, obtuse, shorter than the perigynium.—Moist meadows, Mass. to N. C.; local.

[++][++] Beak short or none; plant often glaucous.

[=] Plants of ordinary habit.

77. C. tetánica, Schkuhr. Rather slender, rarely glaucous, somewhat stoloniferous; culm scabrous, at least above; spikes all peduncled, the upper one very shortly so, pale, all more or less attenuate below, the lower borne in the axils of bracts 3´ long or more; perigynium not turgid, greenish, prominently many-nerved, the beak strongly bent; scale obtuse or abruptly mucronate, all except the lowest mostly shorter than the perigynium.—Meadows and borders of ponds from W. Mass. westward; common westward.—Var. Woòdii, Bailey. Very slender and strongly stoloniferous; leaves narrow, very long and lax; spikes mostly alternately flowered throughout; scales often sharper. (C. Woodii, Dewey.) Rich woods, N. Y. to Mich., and south to Washington; frequent.—Var. Mèadii, Bailey. Stiffer; leaves mostly broader and stricter; spikes thick and densely flowered, not attenuate at base, the upper one often sessile; perigynium larger. (C. Meadii, Dewey.) R. I. to Neb., and southward; rare eastward.—Var. Cánbyi, Porter. Stout and stiff; leaves still broader (about 2´´ wide) and flat; spikes thick, often ¼´ wide; perigynium long, straight or very nearly so; scale large, nearly equalling or exceeding the perigynium. E. Penn. (Canby); Ill. and Wisc.; little known.

C. panícea, L. Strict, often stiff, glaucous-blue 1–2° high; culm smooth; bracts 1–2´ long; spikes 1–3, scattered, colored, peduncled, erect, rather compact or loose below, seldom 1´ long; perigynium ovoid, yellow or purple, somewhat turgid, scarcely nerved, the point usually curved, mostly longer than the purple-margined scale.—Fields, E. Mass. and R. I. (Nat. from Eu.)

[=][=] Very strict, densely glaucous.

78. C. lívida, Willd. Culms 18´ high or less; leaves narrow, often becoming involute; spikes 1 or 2 and aggregated or approximate, or rarely a third nearly radical, sessile or nearly so, erect, narrow; perigynium ovoid-oblong, nerved, granular, beakless, the point straight or nearly so, orifice entire; scale obtuse, mostly a little shorter than the perigynium.—Pine-barrens of N. J., and sphagnum swamps northward to N. Eng. and L. Superior; local. (Eu.)

[*] 6.—[+] 4. Bicolòres.

79. C. aùrea, Nutt. Low and slender, 1° high or less; bracts exceeding the culm; spikes 2–4, all but the lowest usually approximate, peduncled or the upper one or two sessile, erect, loosely few-flowered or sometimes becoming ¾´ long, at maturity yellow or brown, the terminal one frequently pistillate above; perigynium fleshy at maturity, nerved, longer than the blunt scale.—Wet meadows and springy banks, throughout; rather common.

[*] 6.—[+] 5. Digitàtæ.

[++] Spikes two or more.

80. C. ebúrnea, Boott. Exceedingly slender and capillary, erect, 4–12´ high, stoloniferous; leaves shorter than the culm; staminate spike very small and very short-peduncled, overtopped by the two upper pistillate spikes; pistillate spikes 2–4, approximate or the lowest remote, all stalked, erect, 2–6-flowered; perigynium very small, almost nerveless, smooth and becoming black and shining at full maturity; scale white and thin, obtuse, shorter than the perigynium.—Tufted in sandy or light soils from N. Eng. to Ky. and Neb.; frequent.

81. C. Richardsòni, R. Br. Rather stiff, 4–9´ high, stoloniferous; sheaths short, purple or brown; staminate spike stout and mostly short-peduncled; pistillate spikes 1–2, approximate, the very short stalks included, erect, compact, less than ½´ in length; perigynium obovoid, firm, hairy, the very short beak entire or erose; scale brown with a conspicuous white-hyaline margin, obtuse or pointless, and longer than the perigynium.—Dry ground, western N. Y. to Ill., and northwestward; rare.

82. C. pedunculàta, Muhl. Low and diffuse, 3–10´ high, forming mats; leaves abundant, very green, flat and firm, longer than the weak culms; staminate spike very small, with the uppermost pistillate spike sessile at its base; pistillate 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; perigynium triangular-obovate, smooth or very slightly pubescent above, the short and nearly entire beak somewhat oblique; scale green or purple, truncate and cuspidate, mostly a little longer than the perigynium.—Dry woods and banks, N. Eng. to Va. (Kennedy) and Minn.; frequent northward.

[++][++] Spike one or rarely a rudiment of a second; plant diœcious.

83. C. pícta, Steudel. Rather weak, 1° high or less; leaves flat and firm, persisting through the winter, at least twice longer than the culm; a sheathing purple scale at the base of the spike; staminate spike about 1´ 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; perigynium obovate, much contracted below into a stipe-like base, very strongly nerved, entirely pointless, hairy above, covered by the scale. (C. Boottiana, Benth.)—In a wooded ravine with Hepatica and Epigæa, near Bloomington, Ind. (Dudley); also Ala. and La.

[*] 7. Sphæridióphoræ.—[+] 1. Scirpìnæ.

84. C. scirpoídea, Michx. Strict, the pistillate plant mostly stiff, 6–18´ high; leaves flat, shorter than the culm; spike 1´ long or less, densely cylindrical, very rarely with a rudimentary second spike at its base; perigynium ovate, short-pointed, very hairy, about the length of the ciliate purple scale.—Mountains of N. New Eng.; Drummond's Island, L. Huron. (Norway.)

[*] 7.—[+] 2. Montànæ.

[++] Some or all of the culms longer than the leaves (or in the type of n. 85 frequently shorter).

[=] Staminate spike minute, wholly or partially concealed in the head; leaves always very narrow; radical spikes often present.

85. C. defléxa, Hornem. Diffuse and low, tufted; culms 1–6´ high, setaceous, more or less curved or spreading, little exceeding or shorter than the leaves; staminate spike exceedingly minute and nearly always entirely invisible in the head; pistillate spikes 2–3, 2–5-flowered, green, or green and brown, all aggregated into a head, the lowest one always more or less short-peduncled and subtended by a leafy bract ½´ long or less; radical spikes few; perigynium very small and much contracted below, sparsely hairy or nearly smooth, the beak flat and very short, mostly longer than the acutish scale. (C. Novæ-Angliæ, last ed., mostly.)—High mountains of N. H. and Vt.

Var. Dèanei, Bailey. Taller and lax, the culms 6–12´ high and some or all prominently longer than the longer and loose leaves; staminate spike much larger (2–3´´ long), erect or oblique, sessile; pistillate spikes larger (4–8-flowered), less aggregated or the lowest usually separated, though rarely more than ¼´ apart; radical spikes usually numerous; bract mostly longer.—Swales or dryish places, high or subalpine regions, Mt. Desert, Maine (Rand); Essex, Mass.; N. H., Vt., and N. Y.; scarce. In aspect like n. 86.

Var. mèdia, Bailey. Rather stiff, 4–12´ high, in dense tufts; most of the spikes equalling or exceeding the leaves, the staminate prominent, erect (3–5´´ long), sessile or very short-peduncled; pistillate spikes 2–3, all scattered, the uppermost at or near the base of the staminate spike, the lowest usually very prominently peduncled and subtended by a conspicuous bract which surpasses the culm, all rather compactly 3–8-flowered, green, or brown and green; radical spikes several; perigynium larger, much like that of short-beaked forms of n. 90.—Keweenaw Co., Mich. (Farwell); also far westward.

86. C. vària, Muhl. Erect, mostly strict, 6–15´ high, tufted and somewhat stoloniferous; culms variable in length, often twice longer than the leaves; staminate spike 3´´ long or less; pistillate spikes closely aggregated, or rarely somewhat loosely disposed but never scattered, all strictly sessile, green; radical spikes none; lower bract usually present; perigynium longer-pointed than in the last, about the length of the sharp scale. (C. Emmonsii, Dewey.)—Banks and dry woods; frequent.—In var. coloràta, Bailey, the scales are purple. Mostly southward.

[=][=] Staminate spike very prominent (or in the variety of n. 89 very small, but the leaves broad); radical spikes none.

a. Scales smooth.

87. C. Nòvæ-Ángliæ, Schwein. Very slender and soft, erect, stoloniferous, 6–8´ high; culms little longer than the very narrow leaves; staminate spike exceedingly narrow (3–8´´ long by about ½´´ wide), mostly minutely peduncled; pistillate spikes 2, or rarely 3, the upper one near the base of the staminate spike, the lower very short-peduncled and removed ½–1´ and subtended by a leafy bract which nearly or quite equals the culm, both rather loosely 3–6-flowered; perigynium very narrow, often nearly oblanceolate, small, very thinly hairy, the beak sharp and prominent; stigmas often 2.—Mountain swamps of W. Mass., and Mt. Desert, Maine (Rand); rare.

88. C. Pennsylvánica, Lam. A foot high or less, erect, strongly stoloniferous, forming large patches; leaves narrow and more or less involute, dark or dull green, mostly nearly as long as the culm; staminate spike ½´ (rarely ¾´) long, usually dull brown or brown-purple, sessile or very nearly so; pistillate spikes 1–3, contiguous or the two lower rarely ½´ apart, all sessile and usually dark-colored, the lowest bract very short or at least rarely prominent; perigynium short- or round-ovate, hairy.—Dry fields; our commonest species.

89. C. commùnis, Bailey. Habitually taller and stricter, 8–18´ high, in small tufts, never stoloniferous; leaves proportionately shorter, broad (about 2´´), flat and pale; staminate spike mostly longer, often short-peduncled and usually paler; pistillate spikes 2–4, scattered on the upper part of the culm, green or tawny, the lowest one or two sometimes peduncled and often with prominent leafy bracts. (C. varia, last ed.)—Dry hill-sides; common.

Var. Wheèleri, Bailey. Mostly greener, 3–14´ high; leaves soft and flat and much shorter than the culm; staminate spike ¼´ long or less, very narrow, sessile and oblique; pistillate spikes mostly closer together.—Knolls in woods, Ionia Co., Mich. (Wheeler), and Alcona Co. (Bailey); Middletown, Conn. (Barratt), and Cheshire Co., N. H. It has much the aspect of n. 86, but is readily distinguished by the broad leaves and more scattered spikes.

b. Scales rough-cuspidate.

C. præ̀cox, Jacq. Rather stiff, the culm sometimes curved, 3–10´ high; leaves flat, shorter than the culm; staminate spike prominently clavate, mostly sessile; pistillate spikes 2–3, all contiguous, sessile or the lowest very short-peduncled and subtended by a bract scarcely as long as itself, all oblong or short-cylindric, the lowest about 6´´ long; perigynium triangular-obovoid, the very short beak entire or erose, thinly hispid-hirsute, about the length of the scale.—Fields, E. Mass. (Nat. from Eu. early in the century.)

[++][++] Part or usually all of the culms much shorter than the leaves.

90. C. umbellàta, Schkuhr. (Pl. 6, fig. 11–14.) Low, growing in small and dense mats (1–3´ across); leaves short and often stiff (2–6´long), flat, the earliest very narrow but the later often 2´´ broad; spikes all on separate scapes which rarely exceed 1–2´ in length (or rarely one or two short true culms), usually densely aggregated at the surface of the ground and hidden by the leaves, the pistillate spikes green or tawny and rather loosely few-flowered; perigynium slenderly beaked, toothed, very lightly pubescent, about the length of the acute and often rough-tipped scale.—Dry banks and knolls, N. Eng. to N. J. and N. Y., and perhaps farther westward; infrequent.—Var. vícina, Dewey. Tufts looser and larger; leaves longer (often 1° or more) and laxer, sometimes broader; some pistillate spikes borne near the base of the staminate on a true culm which is 3–8´ high, one or two on each culm. With the species and farther westward; infrequent.

91. C. nìgro-marginàta, Schwein. Leaves mostly stiffer than in n. 90, often broader, and some of the culms prolonged; perigynium smooth or nearly so, shorter beaked; scales purple-margined, giving the spikes a very dark or variegated appearance, considerably larger and longer than in the last.—Dry hillsides, N. J., and southward; local.

[*] 7.—[+] 3. Triquétræ.

92. C. pubéscens, Muhl. Strict, 1–2° high, pubescent throughout; leaves flat and soft, shorter than the culm; spikes 2–4, the lower 1 or 2 short-peduncled, and about ½´ long, loosely flowered, erect; perigynium very hairy, conspicuously beaked and minutely toothed, straight, about the length of the truncate and rough-cuspidate thin scale.—Copses and moist meadows, N. Eng. to Ky., and westward; frequent.

[*] 8. Phyllostáchyæ.

93. C. Jamèsii, Schwein. (Pl. 5, fig. 17–21.) Diffuse, 6–10´ high; leaves very narrow (1´´ or less), much surpassing the culm; spike very small, the staminate portion inconspicuous, the pistillate flowers 1–3 and loosely disposed; perigynium globular, produced into a very long and roughened nearly entire beak; scale narrow, the lowest often 1–2´ long, the upper often shorter than the perigynium. (C. Steudelii, Kunth.)—Woods, N. Y. to Ill., and southward; frequent.

94. C. Willdenòvii, Schkuhr. Lower, stiffer, the leaves broader and pale; spike larger, the pistillate flowers 3–9, compact; perigynium bearing a prominent two-edged very rough beak; scales chaffy, nerved, as broad as and somewhat longer than the perigynium, or the lowest rarely overtopping the spike.—Copses, Mass. to Mich., and southward; rare.

95. C. Báckii, Boott. Forming dense mats; leaves still broader (2´´ or more), very abundant; staminate flowers about 3; pistillate 2–5; perigynium more gradually beaked, smooth throughout; scales very broad and leaf-like, all exceeding the culm and entirely enveloping the spike.—W. Mass. to Ohio, and far westward; local and rare, especially eastward.

[*] 9. Leptocéphalæ.

96. C. polytrichoìdes, Muhl. Capillary, erect or slightly diffuse, 6–18´ high; leaves mostly shorter than the culm; spike 2–4´´ long, linear, the staminate portion very small; perigynium thin and green, nerved, about twice longer than the obtuse caducous scale.—Bogs; common.

[*] 10. Physocéphalæ.

97. C. Fràseri, Andrews. Cespitose; culm 6–15´ high, naked or the lower portion included in loosely sheathing abortive leaves, smooth and stiff; leaves 1´ broad or more, destitute of midrib, very thick and persistent, pale, 1–2° long; spike whitish; perigynium ovoid, faintly nerved, much longer than the scale.—Rich mountain woods, Va. and southward; very local and rare. A most remarkable plant.

§ 2. VÍGNEA.—[*] 11. Acroarrhènæ.—[+] 1. Fœ́tidæ

98. C. chordorhìza, Ehrh. Very extensively stoloniferous; culm mostly erect, 1–1½° long; leaves involute, shorter than the culm; perigynium globular, very strongly nerved, short-pointed and entire, about the length of the acute scale.—Cold bogs and soft lake-borders, Vt. to Iowa, and northward; infrequent. (Eu.)

99. C. stenophýlla, Wahl. Stiff, 3–8´ high; leaves involute and shorter than the culm; perigynium ovate, flat on the inner face, lightly nerved, gradually contracted into a short and entire rough-edged beak, tightly enclosing the achene, at maturity longer than the hyaline acutish scale.—Dry grounds, Thayer Co., Neb. (Bessey); Emmet Co., Iowa (Cratty), and westward. (Eu).

[*] 11.—[+] 2. Vulpìnæ.

[++] Beak shorter than or about as long as the body of the perigynium.

100. C. conjúncta, Boott. Strict but rather weak, 1½–3½° high; culm soft and sharply triangular or nearly wing-angled, becoming perfectly flat when pressed; leaves soft, about 3´´ broad; head 1–3´ long, interrupted, often nearly green, infrequently bearing a few setaceous bracts; perigynium lance-ovate, light colored, whitish and thickened below, the beak lightly notched and roughish, about equalling or a little exceeding the cuspidate scale.—Swales and glades, N. J., Ky., and westward; usually rare.

[++][++] Beak twice the length of the body of the perigynium or longer.

101. C. stipàta, Muhl. Stout, 1–3° high, in clumps; culm rather soft, very sharp; head 1–3´ long, rarely somewhat compound at base, interrupted, the lowest spikes often ½´ long; perigynium lanceolate, brown-nerved, the beak toothed and roughish, about twice the length of the body, and much longer than the scale.—Swales; common and variable.

102. C. crus-córvi, Shuttlew. Stout, glaucous, 2–3° high; culm rough, at least above; leaves flat and very wide; head much branched and compound, 3–6´ long; perigynium long lanceolate, the short base very thick and disk-like, the roughish and very slender beak thrice the length of the body or more, 3–4 times the length of the inconspicuous scale.—Swamps, S. Minn. to Neb. and Ky., and southward; rare northward.

[*] 11.—[+] 3. Multiflòræ.

[++] Spikes conspicuously panicled.

103. C. decompósita, Muhl. Stout, exceedingly deep green, 1½–3° high, in stools; culm very obtusely angled, almost terete below; leaves firm, channelled below, longer than the culm; head 2–4´ long, the lower branches ascending and 1–2´ long; perigynium very small, round-obovate, few-nerved, hard and at maturity shining, the abrupt short beak entire or very nearly so; scale acute, about the length of the perigynium.—Swamps, N. Y. to Mich., and southward; local.

[++][++] Spikes in a simple or nearly simple head.

[=] Leaves very narrow (1´´ broad or less), becoming more or less involute.

104. C. teretiúscula, Gooden. Slender but mostly erect, 1½–2½° high, in loose stools; culm rather obtuse, rough at the top, mostly longer than the leaves; head 1–2´ long, compact or somewhat interrupted, narrow ({1/4}´ wide or less); perigynium very small, ovate and truncate below, bearing a few inconspicuous short nerves on the outer side, stipitate, firm and at maturity blackish and shining, the short beak lighter colored; scale chaffy and acute, about the length of the perigynium.—Swales, N. Eng. to Penn., and westward; common. (Eu.)—Var. ramòsa, Boott. More slender; head mostly longer, the upper portion often somewhat nodding, the spikes scattered and the lowest ones often slightly compound. N. Y., and westward; common.

[=][=] Leaves broader and flat (occasionally involute in n. 106).

a. Scales very sharp, mostly rough-tipped.

1. Perigynium large (2´´ long or more), nerveless on the inner face.

105. C. alopecoídea, Tuckerm. Stout but rather soft, 2–3° high; culm rather sharp, thick and soft in texture; leaves 2–3´´ wide, about the length of the culm, very green; head 1½´ long or less, sometimes green, and occasionally a little compound, the spikes many and compactly or somewhat loosely disposed or the lowest often separate and all mostly short-oblong; perigynium ovate, tapering into a rough beak, very prominently stipitate, with a few brown nerves on the outer face, ascending, about equalling or a little exceeding the scale.—Open swales, N. Y., Penn., and Mich.; local. In aspect like n. 101.

Var. sparsispicàta, Dewey. Weak, the leaves much narrower and lax; head 1–3´ long and linear or nearly so, the spikes smaller and separated or scattered.—S. E. Mich. (Cooley, Clark); little known.

106. C. grávida, Bailey. Lower and the culm thinner and more sharply angled, 1–2° high; leaves rather narrower and firmer, shorter than the culm; head short, always simple, globular or short-oblong, the lowest spikes rarely distinct; spikes few (4–7), globular, or broader than long; perigynium broadly ovate, nearly twice larger, sessile, plump and somewhat polished at maturity, prominently spreading.—N. Ill. to Iowa and Neb.—Var. laxifòlia, Bailey. Much larger, 2–3½° high; leaves broader (about ¼´) and lax; head large and dense, ovoid or oblong, scarcely interrupted. N. Ill. to Dak.

2. Perigynium very small, mostly nerved on the inner face.

107. C. vulpinoídea, Michx. Mostly rather stiff, 1–2½° high; culm very rough, at least above; leaves various, mostly flat and longer than the culm; head 1–4´ long, usually much interrupted and frequently somewhat compound, varying from dull brown to almost green at maturity, commonly provided with many very setaceous short bracts; spikes very numerous, ascending and densely flowered; perigynium ovate or lance-ovate, mostly ascending.—Low places, variable; very abundant, especially northward.

b. Scales blunt, smooth and hyaline-tipped.

108. C. Sartwéllii, Dewey. Stiff and strict, 1½–2½° high; leaves produced into a long slender point, mostly shorter than the culm; staminate flowers variously disposed, frequently whole spikes being sterile; head 1–3´ long and rather narrow, the individual spikes usually clearly defined, or occasionally the head interrupted below, tawny-brown; perigynium elliptic or lance-elliptic, nerved on both sides, very gradually contracted into a short beak; scale about the length of the perigynium. (C. disticha, last ed.)—Bogs, central N. Y., west and northward; frequent.

[*] 11.—[+] 4. Arenàriæ.

C. arenària, Linn. Extensively creeping, 1° high or less; leaves very narrow and very long-pointed, shorter than the culm; head about 1´ long, dense or sometimes interrupted, ovoid or oblong; spikes few to many, those at the apex of the head usually staminate, the intermediate ones staminate at the summit, the lowest entirely pistillate and subtended by a bract about 1´ long; perigynium very strongly nerved on both faces, wing-margined above, sharply long-toothed, about the length of the scale.—Sea-beaches near Norfolk, Va. (McMinn). (Adv. from Eu.)

[*] 11.—[+] 5. Muhlenbergiànæ.

[++] Heads narrow, the spikes scattered (or often aggregated in C. muricata.)

[=] Perigynium almost terete.

109. C. tenélla, Schkuhr. Exceedingly slender, 6´–2° high, in tufts; leaves flat, soft, and weak, mostly shorter than the culm; spikes 1–3-flowered, or the terminal 4–6-flowered, all distinct and scattered on the upper part of the culm, the bracts obsolete or the lowest present and very short; perigynium elliptic-ovate, very plump, finely nerved, the minute beak entire, longer than the white scale, usually at length splitting and exposing the blackish achene.—Cold swamps, N. Eng. to Penn., and far westward; common. (Eu.)

[=][=] Perigynium flattish.

110. C. ròsea, Schkuhr. Always slender and weak, erect, 1–2½° high, exceeding the narrow leaves; spikes 5–8, 6–14-flowered, the upper 3–4 aggregated, the others 3–9´´ apart, the lowest usually with a setaceous bract; perigynium lance-ovate, thin and shining, nerveless, scarcely margined, rough on the edges above, perfectly squarrose, very green, about twice longer than the translucent white scale.—Rich woods, N. Eng. to Minn. and Neb.; frequent.—Var. radiàta, Dewey. Lower and much more slender, the culms sometimes almost capillary; spikes 2–5, scattered, 2–4-flowered; perigynium mostly narrower and more ascending. Open places and drier woods; common.

Var. Texénsis, Torr. Very slender but strict, 1° high or less; spikes 3–4, all contiguous or the lower ones approximate, 2–6-flowered; perigynium lanceolate, the base prominently spongy, smooth or nearly so, conspicuously divaricate.—Dry places, S. Ill. (Schneck), and southward.

Var. retrofléxa, Torr. Often rather stiff, 1–1½° high; spikes 4–8, the upper ones aggregated, the lower 1 or 2 separated and commonly subtended by a conspicuous bract, often brownish; perigynium ovate, smooth throughout, very prominently corky and swollen at the base, which is frequently contracted almost to a stipe, at maturity usually widely spreading or reflexed; scale brownish and sharp, at length deciduous. (C. retroflexa, Muhl.)—Copses, throughout; rare northward.

111. C. sparganioìdes, Muhl. Stouter, stiff; culm 2–3° high; leaves very broad (usually ¼´ or more) and flat, their sheaths conspicuously clothing the base of the culm; spikes 6–10, the 2 or 3 upper ones contiguous, the remainder entirely separate, very green, oblong or short-cylindric, the lowest often compound, all truncate at top; perigynium ovate, wing-margined, rough on the short beak, often obscurely nerved on the outer face, considerably longer than the rough-pointed scale.—Rich woods; frequent.

C. muricàta, L. Culm 1–2° high, rough, longer than the narrow leaves; spikes 5–10, variously disposed, but usually some of them scattered, frequently all aggregated, rarely tawny; perigynium heavy, ovate, thin and shining, nerveless, the long beak minutely rough, spreading, a little longer than the sharp green or brownish scale.—Dry fields, E. Mass., where it is common, and sparingly south and westward to Va. and Ohio. (Nat. from Eu.)

[++][++] Heads short-oblong or globular, the spikes all aggregated, or only the lowest one or two separate.

[=] Plant very stiff throughout.

112. C. Muhlenbérgii, Schkuhr. Pale, growing in small tufts, 1–2½° high; culms much prolonged beyond the few narrow and at length involute leaves; head {3/4}´ long or less, the individual spikes clearly defined; spikes globular, 4–8; perigynium nearly circular, very strongly nerved on both faces, broader than the rough-cuspidate scale and about as long.—Open sterile soils; frequent.—Var. enérvis, Boott. Perigynium nearly or entirely nerveless. Southeastern N. Y., and southward; rare.

[=][=] Plant strict but not stiff.

113. C. cephaloídea, Dewey. Lax, very green, 2–3° high; leaves broad (2–3´´) and thin, shorter than the long culm; head rather loose, ¾´ long or more, all but the very uppermost spikes clearly defined; perigynium ovate, entirely nerveless, long rough-pointed, spreading, twice longer than the very thin scale or more.—Shady banks, W. Mass. to Mich.; frequent.

114. C. cephalóphora, Muhl. Mostly smaller and stricter, pale; leaves half as wide or less; head small, rarely ½´ long, globular or very short-oblong, never interrupted, the lower 1 or 2 spikes usually bearing a very setaceous short bract; perigynium twice smaller than in the last, scarcely longer than the rough-cuspidate scale.—Dry and mostly sterile knolls; common.

Var. angustifòlia, Boott. Low, 8´ high or less; leaves very narrow; head smaller, usually tawny; perigynium mostly broader.—West and southward; rare.

[*] 11.—[+] 6. Diòicæ.

[++] Perigynium nerveless or very nearly so.

115. C. capitàta, L. Rigid, 3´–1° high; leaves filiform, shorter than the culm; head globular, uniformly staminate above, brown, very small; perigynium broadly ovate, very thin, whitish, prominently beaked, erect and appressed, longer than the very thin and obtuse scale.—Alpine summits of the White Mountains. (Eu.)

[++][++] Perigynium prominently nerved.

116. C. gynòcrates, Wormsk. Stiff but very slender, 3–6´ high, diœcious; leaves filiform and setaceous, about the length of the culm; spike oblong, 2–4´´ long; perigynium elliptic-ovate, nearly terete, stipitate, widely spreading or reflexed at maturity, 1 or 2 sometimes borne at the base of the staminate spike.—Cold sphagnum swamps, Penn., north and westward; local, particularly southward.

117. C. exìlis, Dewey. Very stiff, slender, 1–2° high; leaves involute-filiform and very stiff, shorter than the culm; spike varying from almost globular to cylindrical (frequently 1´ long), either unisexual or the sexes variously placed, very rarely a supplementary spike at base; perigynium elliptic-ovate, flattish, stipitate and somewhat cordate at base, strongly brown-nerved on the outer face, rather faintly nerved on the inner, rough-edged above, sharply toothed, spreading, a little longer than the scale.—Cold swamps and lake-borders, N. Eng. and eastern N. Y. to N. J.; rare.

[*] 12. Hyparrhènæ.—[+] 1. Elongàtæ.

[++] Perigynium very sharp-margined, firm, often thickened at base, spreading in open and at maturity stellate spikes.

118. C. echinàta, Murray, var. cephalántha, Bailey. Rather stiff but slender, 1–2° high; leaves very narrow and involute, about the length of the culm; spikes 5–8, approximate or even aggregated into a head, green, compactly 15–30-flowered, short-oblong or nearly globular; perigynium ovate-lanceolate, rough on the margins above, nerved on both faces, spreading or reflexed at maturity, the beak long and prominent, longer than the sharp white scale. (C. stellulata, last ed.)—E. Penn. (Porter) to Mass. (Morong), and westward to L. Superior; rare.—Var. conférta, Bailey. Very stiff; spikes contiguous or scattered, spreading, short-oblong or globular, dense; perigynium broadly ovate or even nearly round-ovate, very strongly nerved, reflexed or widely spreading. Near the sea-coast; uncommon. The perigynia resemble those of n. 112.—Var. micróstachys, Boeckl. Mostly very slender; spikes few, 3–10-flowered, usually tawny; perigynium small, lance-ovate, nerved on the outer face but usually nerveless on the inner, erect or spreading, the beak rather long or prominent. (C. scirpoides, Schkuhr. C. sterilis, Willd.) Swales, throughout; very common and variable.—Var. angustàta, Bailey. Exceedingly slender; spikes few and very few-flowered, mostly all contiguous; perigynium lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, twice the length of the scale or more. N. Y., Vt., and northward; rare.

[++][++] Perigynium scarcely sharp-margined, thin in texture, not thickened at base, mostly in closely flowered and rounded or oblong spikes.

[=] Perigynium ovate or nearly so, the beak short or none.

a. Bracts not prolonged.

119. C. canéscens, L. Stiff and rather stout, 1–2½° high, glaucous and pale throughout, growing in stools; spikes 4–8, globular or oblong, very densely 20–50-flowered, approximate or somewhat scattered on the upper part of the culm, usually prominently contracted below with the staminate flowers; perigynium short-ovate, silvery-white and minutely puncticulate, never thickened at base, faintly few-nerved, smooth throughout, ascending, the beak very short and entire; scale obtuse or acutish, about the length of the perigynium.—Cool swamps and bogs, N. Eng. to Penn., west and northward; frequent northward. (Eu.)

Var. vulgàris, Bailey. Very slender, lower, not glaucous, in small and loose tufts; spikes smaller and usually fewer, loosely flowered; perigynium mostly more beaked, prominently spreading.—Mostly in drier places; very common. Perigynium much shorter than in any form of n. 118.

Var. alpícola, Wahl. Low and stiff, or at lower altitudes becoming somewhat slender, seldom much over 1° in height; spikes small, globular or nearly so, dense, well defined and brown or tawny; perigynium as in the type, ascending. (C. vitilis, Fries.)—Mountains from N. Eng. to Ga., sparingly along our northern boundary, and far westward. (Eu.)

Var. polystàchya, Boott. Erect and mostly strict, not glaucous, 1½–2½° high, scarcely tufted; leaves very lax and exceeding the culm; spikes oblong, more or less aggregated in an oblong interrupted head, the lowest 1 or 2 subtended by short scale-like bracts; perigynium somewhat spreading. (C. arcta, Boott.) Low woods, N. New Eng. to N. Minn.; rare. Resembles C. echinata, var. cephalantha.

120. C. Norvégica, Willd. Low and stiff, but rather slender, 1° high or less; leaves very narrow, mostly shorter than the culm; spikes 3–5, somewhat scattered, brown, globular or oblong, compactly many-flowered, the terminal one long-contracted below with the staminate flowers; perigynium very short-ovate, thick, the beak rough, a little longer than the very obtuse scale.—Salt marshes, Maine, and northward, rare. (Eu.)

121. C. tenuiflòra, Wahl. Very slender and diffuse, 1–1½° high, in tufts; leaves very narrow and lax, shorter than the filiform culm; spikes 2–4, all loosely few-flowered and silvery-green, and aggregated into a small globular head; perigynium elliptic, obscurely nerved, smooth, beakless, spreading, about the length of the white thin scale.—Bogs, N. New Eng. to N. Minn.; local. (Eu.)

b. Bracts much prolonged, the lowest 2–3´ long.

122. C. trispérma, Dewey. (Pl. 6, fig. 1–5.) Exceedingly slender, in small and loose tufts, the weak reclining culms 1–2° long; leaves soft and narrow, shorter than the culm; spikes 2–3, 1–3´ apart, silvery-green, 2–3-flowered; perigynium very thin, finely nerved, the beak entire or nearly so; scale acute, very thin, usually shorter than the perigynium.—Cold bogs, throughout; common northward.

[=][=] Perigynium ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate.

123. C. Deweyàna, Schwein. Weak, 1–1½° high; leaves flat and soft, shorter than the culm, yellowish-green; spikes 3–6, mostly oblong or sometimes but 2–3-flowered, loose, the upper ones contiguous but the lower 1 or 2 usually considerably separated on the zigzag rhachis and mostly subtended by a bract, all silvery-green; perigynium ovate-lanceolate or narrower, very thin in texture, nerveless, somewhat thickened below on the outer face, the long beak rough; scale very thin, acute or cuspidate, about the length of the perigynium.—Dry woods; common.

124. C. bromoìdes, Schkuhr. Lax, 1–2° high, in dense stools; leaves very narrow, about as long as the culm; staminate flowers variously situated in the head, sometimes a few spikes wholly sterile, rarely the plants diœcious; spikes 3–6, oblong or short-cylindric, erect, silvery-tawny or brown; perigynium linear-lanceolate, firm especially at the base, prominently nerved, the long and roughened beak toothed; scale sharp, shorter than the perigynium.—Open bogs; common.

[*] 12.—[+] 2. Ovàles.

[++] Perigynium ovate-lanceolate, with winged margins.

125. C. siccàta, Dewey. Extensively creeping, 1–2° high, erect; leaves firm, narrow, about the length of the culm; staminate flowers variously situated, usually some of the spikes wholly sterile; spikes 3–5, aggregated or separated, ovoid or short-oblong, silvery-brown; perigynium firm, nerved on both faces, the long beak rough and toothed, the margins prominent or sometimes very narrow; scale acute, about the length of the perigynium.—Sandy fields and banks, N. Eng. to Ohio, west and northward; frequent.

[++][++] Perigynium ovate-lanceolate or narrower, scale-like, with little distinction between body and margin.

126. C. Muskinguménsis, Schwein. Robust, erect, 2–3° high; leaves many and lax, loosely sheathing, those on the sterile shoots crowded near the top, all flat and long-pointed; spikes 6–12, contiguous, erect, narrowly cylindric (often 1´ long), becoming light brown and presenting a dried appearance, very densely flowered; perigynium linear-lanceolate (3´´ long), prominently nerved, ciliate on the white margins above, appressed, twice the length of the scale or more. (C. arida, Schwein. & Torr.)—Woods and copses, Mich. and Ohio to Ill. and Wisc.; local.

127. C. tribuloìdes, Wahl. Stout and erect, 2–3° high; leaves narrower than in the last, loosely sheathing; spikes 6–15, aggregated into an oblong or somewhat interrupted heavy head, short-oblong or sometimes nearly globular, green or tawny-green, compact, not narrowed above; perigynium linear-lanceolate (3´´ long), obscurely nerved, erect but the points conspicuous, rough-margined, nearly twice the length of the scale. (C. lagopodioides, Schkuhr.)—Open swales; frequent.—Var. turbàta, Bailey. Culm softer and often lax; the leaves broader; spikes more loosely disposed, forming a head 1–2´ long, which is slender and more or less interrupted but always erect, green, becoming tawny, if at all, only when the perigynia begin to fall, obovate-oblong (¼ to rarely ½´ long), contracted below; perigynium ascending and more appressed, the points therefore not conspicuous. Woods, throughout; rare.—Var. redúcta, Bailey. Very slender, 1–2° high, the culm projecting beyond the leaves; spikes 2–10, small and nearly globular (usually less than 3´´ broad), all usually distinct, the lowest separated, brown, especially at maturity, the head often flexuose; perigynium small, the points spreading and conspicuous. Copses, N. Eng. to Dak.; infrequent.

Var. Bébbii, Bailey. Stiff or rather slender, erect, 1–2½° high; head dense, ovoid or oblong (¼–¾´ or very seldom 1´ long), the lowest spike only rarely distinct, straw-colored; spikes small (3´´ long or less), their axes ascending; bracts at the base of the head small or none; points of the small perigynium conspicuous. (C. Bebbii, Olney.)—Dry low grounds, throughout; common.

Var. cristàta, Bailey. Stout and stiff, 1½–3° high; head more or less open or at least the lower 1 or 2 spikes commonly distinct, 1´ long or more, green; spikes larger than in the last and almost exactly globular, their axes more divergent or fully horizontal; bracts usually conspicuous, sometimes one of them foliaceous; perigynium spreading, the points more conspicuous. (C. cristata, Schwein.)—Moist ground, throughout from Penn. northward; common.

128. C. scopària, Schkuhr. Rather slender but erect, 1–2½° high; leaves very narrow, shorter than the culm; head short and comparatively thick, always tawny or brown, bractless or nearly so; spikes 3–8, all contiguous or bunched, ovate-oblong, always prominently narrowed or cone-shaped above, ascending; perigynium as in n. 127, but erect or ascending.—Open swales, throughout; common eastward.

Var. mìnor, Boott. Much smaller, 6–10´ high, the leaves very narrow; head very small and darker brown; spikes very small (2–4´´ long).—Rocky and sterile places, northward; frequent.

[++][++][++] Perigynium ovate or broader, thickened in the middle, wing-margined (in n. 129 marginless).

[=] Head silvery-brown, silvery-green, or silvery-whitish.

129. C. adústa, Boott. Very stiff and stout, 1½–2½° high, in dense tufts; head very heavy, erect, varying from globular to oblong, silvery-brown; spikes 5–10, globular and heavy, all aggregated or sometimes distinct, the lowest 1 or 2 subtended by a short and very broad-based, nerved and pointed bract; perigynium broadly ovate, wingless or very nearly so, plump, shining, nerved on the outer face but nerveless on the inner, filled by the large achene; scale acute, about the length of the perigynium. (C. pinguis, Bailey.)—Dry and mostly hard soils, Mt. Desert, Maine (Greenleaf), and northward, and Crawford Co., Mich. (Bailey), to N. Minn., and far northwestward; local.

130. C. fœ̀nea, Willd. Slender, erect or the top of the culm flexuose, 1–2° high; head long and weak, often nodding; spikes 5–8, small, nearly globular and much contracted below, silvery-green, alternately disposed; perigynium varying from ovate to long-ovate, very thin, much longer than the small achene, prominently rough-margined, strongly many-nerved on both faces, especially on the small inner face; bracts entirely wanting or inconspicuous. (C. adusta, last ed.)—Dryish copses, N. Eng. to Penn. and Minn.; not common.—Var. perpléxa, Bailey. Mostly taller and stouter; spikes larger and less attenuated or even truncate below, approximate or even aggregated, the head erect or nearly so and the lowest bract occasionally prominent; perigynium thicker and firmer in texture. N. Eng. to Minn.; infrequent.

131. C. silícea, Olney. Stiff, 1–2° high, in clumps; leaves very narrow, becoming involute, not exceeding the culm; head 1–3´ long, usually flexuose or nodding above the middle at maturity; spikes 5–8, silvery-white or silvery-tawny at full maturity, all more or less separated, ovate, conspicuously contracted below and cone-shaped above, erect on the culm; perigynium very broad-ovate and very thin, obscurely nerved, appressed, about as long as the acute colorless scale. (C. fœnea, var. sabulonum, last ed.; C. straminea, var. moniliformis, Tuckerm.)—Sands of the sea-shore, Maine to N. J.; frequent.

[=][=] Head dull brown or green (usually somewhat silvery in var. fœnea of n. 132).

132. C. stramínea, Willd. Very slender, erect, but the top of the culm often flexuose, 1–3° high; leaves narrow and long-pointed, stiff, shorter than the culm; spikes 3–8, tawny, very small (2–3´´ broad), globular or sometimes a little tapering below from the presence of many staminate flowers, usually all entirely distinct on the very slender, often zigzag or flexuose rhachis; bracts none, or only the lowest conspicuous; perigynium small and ovate, nerved on both faces but never unusually prominently nerved on the inner face (as is the perigynium of n. 130), the points spreading and rather conspicuous; scale acute, about the length of the perigynium. (C. straminea, var. tenera, last ed.)—Dryish copses and fields; common. Immensely variable.

Var. mirábilis, Tuckerm. Culm long and mostly weak, often 4° high, much longer than the loose leaves; spikes 4–8, larger, usually all contiguous or occasionally the lowest 1 or 2 separate, spreading, loosely flowered, tawny or frequently greenish; perigynium narrowly ovate, thin, longer than the scale, the points much spreading and very conspicuous. (C. mirabilis, Dewey.)—Shady places, throughout; frequent.

Var. brèvior, Dewey. (Pl. 6, fig. 6–10.) Culm always stiff, 1½–2½° high, longer than the stiff long-pointed leaves; spikes 3–8, all distinct, contiguous or more or less separated, large (3–5´´ broad), globular, the head always short and erect; perigynium orbicular or ovate-orbicular, often cordate at base, mostly very broadly winged. (C. straminea, and vars. typica, hyalina, and Meadii, last ed.)—Dry soils, throughout; common.

Var. apérta, Boott. Culm slender but strict below the head, 1–2° high, growing in dense tufts; leaves very narrow, usually much shorter than the culm; spikes 4–6, large, heavy, much contracted below, usually all separated, becoming rusty, disposed in a weak or nodding head; perigynium narrowly ovate.—Bogs, throughout; rare westward. Transition to n. 128, from which the ovate perigynia distinguish it.

Var. invìsa, W. Boott. Culm very slender, weak above; leaves very narrow with exceedingly long thin points, about the length of the culm; spikes small (3´´ broad or less), ovate, variously disposed in dense or open heads or sometimes the lowest remote or even subradical, rusty, the lower ones subtended by filiform bracts 2–5´ long.—Swales near the sea-board, Maine to Del.; infrequent. Apt to be confounded with n. 128.

Var. alàta, Bailey. Culm very stiff, 1½–3° high, longer than the stiff leaves; spikes very large, oblong or conical, always pointed, usually all contiguous, green or sometimes becoming tawny; perigynium orbicular or orbicular-obovate, very abruptly contracted into a short beak which is prominent in the spike. (C. alata, Torr.)—Swales, Mass. to Ill., and southward; rare and uncharacteristic far inland.

Var. cumulàta, Bailey. Culm very stiff, 2–3° high, greatly exceeding the firm leaves; spikes 5–30, all aggregated or densely capitate, green, widely divergent, pointed above, very abruptly contracted or even truncate at base, very densely flowered; perigynium small, broad, very obscurely nerved, the points inconspicuous.—Dry grounds, Penn. to N. Eng., and northward; rare.

Var. fœ̀nea, Torr. Culm very stiff, longer than the leaves, 1–2° high; spikes 4–8, contiguous or separated, never densely aggregated, prominently contracted both above and below, very densely flowered, green, or often silvery-green. (C. fœnea, last ed., excl. vars.; not Willd.)—Near the sea-coast; frequent.

C. leporìna, L. Distinguished from C. straminea, var. brevior, as follows:—Usually lower; spikes rusty-brown, ovoid or oblong, erect or appressed, more or less contracted both above and below, contiguous in an interrupted head 1´ long or less; perigynium lance-ovate, thin, very narrowly margined, erect and appressed, obscurely nerved.—About Boston (W. Boott, Morong). (Adv. from Eu.)

[*] 12.—[+] 3. Cyperoídeæ.

133. C. sychnocéphala, Carey. Erect, 3–18´ high, leafy; head ½–1´ long; perigynium very slender, faintly nerved, 5–6 times longer than the exceedingly small achene, mostly a little longer than the sharp scale.—Glades, central N. Y. to Minn., and far westward; rare.

Order 129. GRAMÍNEÆ. (Grass Family.)

Grasses, with usually hollow stems (culms) closed at the joints, alternate 2-ranked leaves, their sheaths split or open on the side opposite the blade; the hypogynous flowers solitary in the axils of imbricated 2-ranked glumes, forming a 1–many-flowered spikelet; the lower glumes (1 or usually 2) empty, the succeeding flowering glumes enclosing each a somewhat smaller and usually thinner scale (called the palet) and 2 or 3 very minute hyaline scales (lodicules) at the base of the flower. Stamens 1–6, commonly 3; anthers versatile, 2-celled, the cells distinct. Styles mostly 2 or 2-parted; stigmas hairy or feathery. Ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled, forming a seed-like grain (caryopsis) in fruit. Embryo small, on the outside and at the base of the floury albumen.—Roots fibrous. Sheath of the leaves usually more or less extended above the base of the blade into a scarious appendage (ligule). Spikelets panicled or spiked. Palet usually 2-nerved or 2-keeled, enclosed or partly covered by the glume. Grain sometimes free from, sometimes permanently adherent to, the palet.—A vast and most important family, as it furnishes the cereal grains, and the principal food of cattle, etc. The terms flowering glume and palet are now adopted in place of the outer and inner palets of previous editions, while for convenience the term flower is often retained for the flower proper together with the enclosing flowering glume. (See Plates 7–15.)

Series A. Spikelets jointed upon the pedicel below the glumes, of one terminal perfect flower (sometimes a lower staminate or neutral flower in n. 5), or some or all of the 1-flowered spikelets unisexual in n. 10–12. Glumes 4 (rarely only 2 or 3).

Tribe I. PANICEÆ. Spikelets of one perfect flower, in spikes or panicles. Flowering glume awnless, in fruit more rigid than the empty glumes.

[*] Spikelets in 2–4 ranks on a more or less flattened rhachis.—See also n. 5 (§ Digitaria).

[+] Rhachis produced beyond the upper spikelet; glumes 3.

1. Spartina. Spikelets much flattened laterally in 2 close ranks.

[+][+] Rhachis not produced above the upper spikelet (rarely in n. 3).

2. Beckmannia. Spikelets obovate, in 2 close rows. Glumes 3 (or 4), strongly concave, carinate.

3. Paspalum. Spikelets plano-convex, sessile or nearly so. Glumes 3 (rarely 2).

4. Eriochloa. Spikelets plano-convex, lanceolate, with a basal callus, short-pedicelled.

[*][*] Spikelets irregularly paniculate or spicate.

5. Panicum. Spikelets ovate, not involucrate nor the pedicels bristly. Glumes 4, the lowest usually small or minute.

6. Setaria. Spikelets in dense cylindrical spikes or panicles, the pedicels bristle-bearing.

7. Cenchrus. Spikelets (1–5) enclosed in a globular spiny bur-like involucre.

8. Amphicarpum. Spikelets of 2 kinds, one in a terminal panicle, the other subterranean on radical peduncles.

Tribe II. ORYZEÆ. Spikelets unisexual or perfect, in loose panicles, with only 2 glumes (in our genera) and palet none. Stamens often 6.

9. Leersia. Flowers perfect. Spikelets much flattened. Glumes carinate.

10. Zizania. Spikelets unisexual. Glumes convex, narrow.

Tribe III. MAYDEÆ. Spikelets of a single perfect or unisexual or rudimentary flower, in jointed spikes, in pairs at each joint, mostly imbedded in the thick rhachis.

11. Tripsacum. Spikelets monœcious, the staminate above in the spike.

12. Rottbœllia. One spikelet of each pair sterile and shortly pedicelled, the other fertile, sessile and sunk in the rhachis.

Tribe IV. ANDROPOGONEÆ. Spikelets in pairs or threes on the (usually jointed and bearded) rhachis of a spike or branches of a panicle, one sessile and fertile, the lateral pedicelled and often sterile or rudimentary; 2 upper glumes smaller and hyaline, that of the fertile flower mostly awned.

13. Erianthus. Spikelets in pairs, spicate, all alike fertile, involucrate with a silky tuft.

14. Andropogon. Spikelets spicate, in pairs, the pedicellate sterile or rudimentary; rhachis bearded.

15. Chrysopogon. Spikelets in open panicles, in pairs or threes, only the sessile fertile.

Series B. Rhachis of the spikelet usually jointed above the persistent lower glumes (jointed below the glumes only in n. 19, 31, and 36). Spikelets 1–many-flowered, the uppermost flowers often imperfect or rudimentary.

Tribe V. PHALARIDEÆ. Glumes 5, only the uppermost fertile, the 2 middle ones rudimentary or empty or staminate; palet 1-nerved. Panicle mostly contracted and spike-like.

16. Phalaris. Middle glumes mere rudiments each side of the shining triandrous flower.

17. Anthoxanthum. Middle glumes empty, awned on the back. Stamens 2.

18. Hierochloe. Middle glumes triandrous. Fertile flower diandrous.

Tribe VI. AGROSTIDEÆ. Glumes 3; flower solitary, perfect (rarely a rudimentary or perfect second flower in n. 23 and 32–34), palet 2-nerved.

[*] Flowering glume with a terminal awn (none in n. 22), closely embracing the grain in fruit; spikelets in panicles or loose spikes, the rhachis not produced beyond the flower (except in n. 24 and a single species of n. 23).—Stipeæ.

[+] Fruiting glume firm and indurated, with a callus at base (none in n. 22).

19. Aristida. Awn 3-fid, the branches divaricate. Callus acute.

20. Stipa. Awn simple, twisted. Callus mostly acute.

21. Oryzopsis. Awn simple, straight, deciduous. Flower oblong; callus short, obtuse.

22. Milium. Awn none. Flower small, ovoid, without callus.

[+][+] Fruiting glume thin and membranous; outer glume smaller or minute.

23. Muhlenbergia. Flower mostly hairy at base, the glume mucronate or awned.

24. Brachyelytrum. Rhachis produced into a bristle above. Outer glumes very small, the flowering one long-awned. Stamens 2.

[*][*] Flowering glume awnless or short-awned, loosely embracing the grain, thin, the lower glumes complicate carinate; spikelets in dense spike-like panicles, the rhachis not produced.—Phleoideæ.

25. Heleochloa. Awns none. Spikes short and scarcely exserted.

26. Phleum. Glumes somewhat truncate, mucronate or short awned. Spike cylindric.

27. Alopecurus. Lower glumes united at base, the flowering awned on the back. Palet none. Spike cylindric.

[*][*][*] Glumes membranous, the lower rarely strongly complicate, the flowering with a dorsal awn or awnless; spikelets variously panicled.—Agrosteæ.

[+] Flowering glume 1- (rarely 3-) nerved, awnless; grain loosely enclosed or naked.

28. Sporobolus. Culms wiry or rigid. Leaves involute.

[+][+] Flowering glume 3–5 nerved, mostly awned; grain enclosed.

[++] Rhachis not reduced above the single flower.

29. Agrostis. Spikelets in an open panicle.

30. Polypogon. Empty glumes long-awned. Panicle spike-like.

31. Cinna. Spikelets flattened, in a loose panicle. Palet 1-nerved. Stamen 1

[++][++] Rhachis bearing a rudimentary second flower or short bristle (except in species of n. 33).

32. Apera. Flowering glume bifid, awned. Panicle very loose and delicate.

33. Calamagrostis. Flowers hairy-tufted at base. Glumes membranaceous. Palet thin.

34. Ammophila. Spikelets large. Flowers hairy tufted at base. Glumes and palet chartaceous.

Tribe VII. AVENEÆ. Spikelets 2–several-flowered, panicled, the rhachis or base of the flowers often bearded; upper flower imperfect or rudimentary (except in n. 37). Flowering glume bearing a twisted, bent or straight awn on its back or below the apex.

[*] One of the flowers staminate only.

35. Arrhenatherum. Lower flower staminate, long awned; middle flower perfect, nearly awnless; the upper rudimentary.

36. Holcus. Flowers 2, the lower perfect, awnless, the upper staminate, awned.

[*][*] Flowers all perfect or the uppermost usually rudimentary.

37. Aira. Spikelets very small, in a diffuse panicle. Flowers 2, perfect, awned toward the base.

38. Deschampsia. Spikelets 2-flowered, with a hairy rudiment. Glumes thin-scarious, the flowering one erose-truncate awned near the middle.

39. Trisetum. Spikelets 2–several-flowered. Flowering glume thin, compressed, carinate, 2-toothed, awned above by the excurrent mid nerve.

40. Avena. Spikelets 2–several-flowered. Flowering glume hard and firm, rounded on the back, 5–9 nerved, the mid-nerve long-excurrent at or below the 2-toothed apex.

41. Danthonia. As Avena, but the 3 middle nerves of the flowering glume running into a flattish twisted awn from between the teeth.

Tribe VIII. CHLORIDEÆ. Spikelets 2–several-flowered with one or more of the upper flowers imperfect (flower 1 and perfect in n. 45) arranged in 2 rows upon the rhachis of a 1-sided spike.

[*] Spikelets with one perfect flower.

42. Cynodon. Spikes 3–5, slender, digitate. Flower and the rudiment awnless.

43. Ctenium. Spike solitary, terminal. Flowers 4–6, the middle one perfect.

44. Gymnopogon. Spikes filiform, racemose. Spikelets remote, of a perfect flower and an awned rudiment.

45. Schedonnardus. Spikes 3–9, slender, scattered, distant. Spikelets small, 1-flowered awnless.

46. Bouteloua. Spikes scattered (rarely 1 and terminal), dense. Glume of perfect flower 3-toothed. Rudimentary flowers 1–3 awned.

[*][*] Spikelets with two or more perfect flowers; awns none.

47. Eleusine. Spikes digitate, dense.

48. Leptochloa. Spikes racemose, slender. Spikelets small, alternate.

[*][*][*] Spikelets diœcious; spikes small, very dissimilar.

49. Buchloe. Pistillate spikes capitate, sessile, the spikelets 1-flowered; staminate spikes (2 or 3) on a peduncle, the spikelets 2–3-flowered.

Tribe IX. FESTUCEÆ. Spikelets few–many-flowered, panicled, the uppermost flowers often imperfect or abortive. Glumes pointless or the flowering ones tipped with a straight awn or bristle.

[*] Flowering glume 1–3 nerved, 2–3-toothed. Rhachis short-bearded or glabrous.

50. Triodia. Rhachis of the spikelet bearded. Nerves of the flowering glume 3, villous, at least the middle one more or less excurrent.

51. Diplachne. Rhachis glabrous. Glume 1–3-nerved, with 2 small teeth, and a short awn in the cleft.

[*][*] Glume 3-nerved, entire or 2-toothed and mucronate between the teeth. Rhachis and flowers long-villous. Tall reeds with ample panicles.

52. Phragmites. Spikelets 3–7-flowered, lowest flower naked, staminate or neutral. Glume entire.

53. Arundo. As n. 52, but flowers all perfect. Glume bifid.

[*][*][*] Glume 3-nerved, the nerves (at least the mid-nerve) excurrent; spikelets few, in the axils of floral leaves.

54. Munroa. Low or prostrate much-branched annual.

[*][*][*][*] Glume 3- (rarely 1-) nerved, obtuse or acute, awnless; rhachis and flower naked.

55. Kœleria. Panicle contracted. Spikelets 2–4-flowered. Glumes compressed-keeled, acute or mucronate.

56. Eatonia. Panicle slender, more or less dense. Spikelets 2-flowered. Glumes very dissimilar, usually obtuse, the upper empty one enclosing the flowers.

57. Eragrostis. Spikelets flattened, 2–many-flowered. Glumes acute or acutish. Palet persistent.

[*][*][*][*][*] Glume 3–5-nerved, obtuse or abrupt-cuspidate; spikelet 3–5-flowered; upper sterile flowers convolute around each other.

58. Melica. Glumes 5-nerved or more, scarious, obtuse. Panicle simple or nearly so.

59. Diarrhena. Glumes 3-nerved, coriaceous, the flowering one abruptly cuspidate. Panicle loosely few-flowered.

[*][*][*][*][*][*] Flowering glume 5-nerved or more (sometimes obscurely so). Only the terminal flower abortive, or none.

[+] Glumes more or less strongly compressed and carinate (ventricose in n. 63).

60. Uniola. Spikelets broad, flat and 2-edged, in usually loose panicles. Glumes coriaceous, acute, the 3–6 lower ones empty.

61. Distichlis. Diœcious. Spikelets large, flattened, in a close panicle. Empty glumes 2, acute.

62. Dactylis. Panicle contracted in 1-sided clusters. Glumes herbaceous, awn-pointed, rough-ciliate on the keel.

63. Briza. Spikelets heart-shaped, in lax panicles. Glumes roundish, ventricose, scarious-margined.

64. Poa. Spikelets small, flattened, ovate to lance-ovate, in a loose panicle. Flowering glumes membranous and scarious-margined, pointless, usually webby or pubescent toward the base.

65. Graphephorum. Spikelets compressed, in a loose panicle, the hairy jointed rhachis produced into a hairy pedicel. Glumes thin-membranous, faintly nerved, entire.

[+][+] Glumes convex on the back, not carinate (or somewhat so in n. 70).

66. Scolochloa. Spikelets subterete, in a lax panicle, the rhachis villous at the base of the flowers, ending in a naked pedicel. Glumes coriaceous, prominently 7-nerved, toothed at the apex. In water.

67. Glyceria. Spikelets terete or flattish. Flowering glumes scarious at the usually blunt summit, prominently 5–7-nerved.

68. Puccinellia. Mainly as Glyceria, but the glumes obsoletely 5-nerved.

69. Festuca. Spikelets terete or flattish. Flowering glume acute, pointed or awned at the tip, few-nerved. Styles terminal.

70. Bromus. Glume rounded or keeled on the back, mostly awned below the 2-cleft tip, 5–9-nerved. Styles scarcely terminal.

Tribe X. HORDEÆ. Spikelets 1–several-flowered, sessile on opposite sides of a zigzag jointed channelled rhachis, forming a spike. Empty glumes sometimes abortive or wanting. Uppermost flower imperfect or abortive.

[*] Spikelets single at each joint of the solitary spike.

71. Lolium. Spikelets many-flowered, placed edgewise on the rhachis of the spike, with one empty glume.

72. Agropyrum. Spikelets 3–several-flowered, placed flatwise on the rhachis. Empty glumes 2, right and left.

73. Lepturus. Spikelets small, 1–2-flowered; empty glumes 1 or 2. Spike very slender.

[*][*] Spikelets 2 or more at each joint of the solitary spike; the empty glumes side by side in front of the spikelets (none or rudimentary in n. 76.)

74. Hordeum. Spikelets 1-flowered, 3 at each joint, the lateral ones usually sterile.

75. Elymus. Spikelets 1–several-flowered, all perfect and similar.

76. Asprella. Spikelets few-flowered, somewhat pedicelled, 1–3 at each joint. Glumes none or small and deciduous.

Tribe XI. BAMBUSEÆ. Tall woody reeds, the flat leaves with a short petiole jointed upon the sheath. Spikelets few–many-flowered, flattened, in panicles or racemes.

77. Arundinaria. Flowering glumes rounded on the back, many-nerved, acuminate or bristle-pointed; empty glumes very small.

1. SPARTÌNA, Schreber. Cord or Marsh Grass. (Pl. 9.)

Spikelets 1-flowered, very much flattened laterally, jointed and sessile in 2 ranks on the outer side of a triangular rhachis. Glumes 3, unequal, lanceolate, strongly compressed-keeled, acute or bristle-pointed, mostly rough-bristly on the keel; palet thin, equalling or longer than the flowering glume. Stamens 3. Styles long, more or less united.—Perennials, with simple and rigid often reed-like culms, from extensively creeping scaly rootstocks, racemed spikes, very smooth sheaths, and long tough leaves (whence the name, from σπαρτίνη, a cord, such as was made from the bark of the Spartium or Broom).

[*] Spikelets compactly imbricated, very rough-hispid on the keels; spikes (2–4´ long) more or less peduncled; culm and elongated leaves rigid.

1. S. cynosuroìdes, Willd. (Fresh-water Cord-Grass.) Culm rather slender (2–6° high); leaves narrow (2–4° long, ½´ wide below or less), tapering to a very slender point, keeled, flat, but quickly involute in drying, smooth except the margins; spikes 5–20, scattered, spreading; rhachis rough on the margins; glumes awn-pointed, especially the middle one (its awn about ¼´ long), strongly serrulate-hispid on the keel, the lower equalling the upper, whose strong midrib abruptly terminates below the membranous apex.—Banks of rivers and lakes, or in rich soil, especially northward. Aug.

2. S. polystàchya, Willd. (Salt Reed-Grass.) Culm tall and stout (4–9° high, often 1´ in diameter near the base); leaves broad (½–1´), roughish underneath, as well as the margins; spikes 20–50, forming a dense oblong raceme (purplish); glumes barely mucronate, the lower half the length of the flowering one, of which the rough-hispid midrib reaches to the apex.—Salt or brackish marshes, within tide-water, especially southward.

3. S. júncea, Willd. (Rush Salt-Grass.) Culms low (1–2° high) and slender; leaves narrow and rush-like, strongly involute, very smooth; spikes 1–5, on very short peduncles, the rhachis smooth; glumes acute, the lower scarcely half the length of the middle one, not half the length of the upper.—Salt marshes and sea-beaches. Aug. (Eu.)

[*][*] Spikelets loosely imbricated, or somewhat remote and alternate, the keels only slightly hairy or roughish under a lens; spikes sessile and erect, soft; leaves, rhachis, etc., very smooth; culm rather succulent.

4. S. strícta, Roth. (Salt Marsh-Grass.) (Pl. 9, fig. 1–3.) Culm 1–4° high, leafy to the top; leaves soon convolute, narrow; spikes few (2–4), the rhachis slightly projecting beyond the crowded or imbricated spikelets; glumes acute, very unequal, the larger 1-nerved, a little longer than the flower.—Salt marshes, Penn., etc.—Odor strong and rancid. (Eu.)

Var. glàbra, Gray. Culm and leaves longer; spikes 5–12 (2–3´ long); Spikelets imbricate-crowded.—Common on the coast.

Var. alterniflòra, Gray. Spikes more slender (3–5´ long), and the spikelets remotish, barely overlapping, the rhachis continued into a more conspicuous bract-like appendage; larger glume indistinctly 5-nerved; otherwise as in the preceding form, into which it passes.—Common with the last; also Onondaga Lake, J. A. Paine.

2. BECKMÁNNIA, Host. (Pl. 16.)

Spikelets jointed upon the pedicels, 1–2-flowered (only one fertile), obovate and laterally compressed, imbricated in 2 rows upon one side of the angled rhachis of a spike. Glumes 3 or 4, the 2 lower strongly concave and carinate, obtuse or acutish, the 1 or 2 flowering glumes narrower, lanceolate, acute or acuminate and a little exserted, becoming rather rigid and with the thin palet enclosing the oblong grain.—A stout erect subaquatic perennial, with the short spikes erect and simply spicate or in a strict narrow panicle. (Named for John Beckmann, professor of botany at Goettingen.)

1. B. erucæfórmis, Host, var. uniflòra, Scribn. Glumes 3 and spikelets 1-flowered; spikes (6´´ long or less) panicled.—N. W. Iowa, W. Minn., and westward. The Old World form, which also is found in the far northwest, has 2-flowered spikelets.

3. PÁSPALUM, L. (Pl. 13.)

Spikelets spiked or somewhat racemed, in 2–4 rows on one side of a flattened or filiform continuous rhachis, jointed upon very short pedicels, plano-convex, awnless, 1-flowered. Glumes 3 (rarely only 2), the terminal one flowering. Flower coriaceous, mostly orbicular or ovate, flat on the inner side, convex on the outer. Stamens 3. Spikes one or more, at or toward the summit of an elongated peduncle. (Πασπάλος, a Greek name for Millet.)

[*] Spikes with a (1´´) broad and thin membranaceous or foliaceous and keeled rhachis, the incurved margins partly enclosing the small two-rowed spikelets. (Smooth, aquatic, or nearly so, decumbent or floating.)

1. P. flùitans, Kunth. Annual; leaves lanceolate, flat (3–8´´), broad; spikes numerous in a raceme, the rhachis somewhat projecting beyond the minute and slightly pubescent spikelets into a tapering point, scabrous on the back.—River-swamps, Va. to S. Ill., Mo., and southward. Sept., Oct.

2. P. Walteriànum, Schultes. Perennial; leaves linear, short; spikes 3–7, the lowest partly included in the sheath of the uppermost leaf, the rhachis blunt; spikelets glabrous.—Low or wet grounds, N. J. (Cape May, Nuttall), Del., and southward.

[*][*] Spikes with a narrow wingless rhachis; perennials, or mostly so.