Chapter C: PRAECOX, 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. umbellata, 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. VICINA, Dewey. Tufts looser and larger; leaves longer (often 1 deg. 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. nigro-marginata, 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. _Triquetrae._

92. C. pubescens, Muhl. Strict, 1--2 deg. high, pubescent throughout; leaves flat and soft, shorter than the culm; spikes 2--4, the lower 1 or 2 short-peduncled, and about {1/2}' 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. PHYLLOSTACHYAE.

93. C. Jamesii, 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. Willdenovii, 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. Backii, 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. LEPTOCEPHALAE.

96. C. polytrichoides, 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. PHYSOCEPHALAE.

97. C. Fraseri, 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 deg. 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.

Sec. 2. VIGNEA.--[*] 11. ACROARRHENAE.--[+] 1. _Foetidae_

98. C. chordorhiza, Ehrh. Very extensively stoloniferous; culm mostly erect, 1--1{1/2} deg. 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. stenophylla, 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. _Vulpinae._

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

100. C. conjuncta, Boott. Strict but rather weak, 1{1/2}--3{1/2} deg. 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. stipata, Muhl. Stout, 1--3 deg. high, in clumps; culm rather soft, very sharp; head 1--3' long, rarely somewhat compound at base, interrupted, the lowest spikes often {1/2}' 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-corvi, Shuttlew. Stout, glaucous, 2--3 deg. 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. _Multiflorae._

[++] _Spikes conspicuously panicled._

103. C. decomposita, Muhl. Stout, exceedingly deep green, 1{1/2}--3 deg. 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. teretiuscula, Gooden. Slender but mostly erect, 1{1/2}--2{1/2} deg. 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. RAMOSA, 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. alopecoidea, Tuckerm. Stout but rather soft, 2--3 deg. high; culm rather sharp, thick and soft in texture; leaves 2--3'' wide, about the length of the culm, very green; head 11/2' 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. sparsispicata, 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. gravida, Bailey. Lower and the culm thinner and more sharply angled, 1--2 deg. 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. LAXIFOLIA, Bailey. Much larger, 2--31/2 deg. high; leaves broader (about 1/4') 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. vulpinoidea, Michx. Mostly rather stiff, 1--21/2 deg. 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. Sartwellii, Dewey. Stiff and strict, 11/2--21/2 deg. 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. _Arenariae._