The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States
Chapter 192 : 94. C. Willdenvii, Schkuhr. Lower, stiffer, the leaves broader and pale; spike larger,

94. C. Willdenvii, 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, Ma.s.s. 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. Ma.s.s. to Ohio, and far westward; local and rare, especially eastward.

[*] 9. LEPTOCePHALae.

96. C. polytrichodes, 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, dest.i.tute 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. ViGNEA.--[*] 11. ACROARRHeNae.--[+] 1. _F'tidae_

98. C. chordorhza, Ehrh. Very extensively stoloniferous; culm mostly erect, 1--1 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. stenophlla, 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. _Vulpnae._

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

100. C. conjuncta, Boott. Strict but rather weak, 1--3 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 high, in clumps; culm rather soft, very sharp; head 1--3' long, rarely somewhat compound at base, interrupted, the lowest spikes often ' 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 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. _Multiflrae._

[++] _Spikes conspicuously panicled._

103. C. decomposita, Muhl. Stout, exceedingly deep green, 1--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 s.h.i.+ning, 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--2 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 s.h.i.+ning, 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. RAMSA, 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 high; culm rather sharp, thick and soft in texture; leaves 2--3" wide, about the length of the culm, very green; head 1' 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 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. LAXIFLIA, Bailey. Much larger, 2--3 high; leaves broader (about ') 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--2 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, 1--2 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._

C. ARENaRIA, 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. _Muhlenbergianae._

[++] _Heads narrow, the spikes scattered (or often aggregated in_ C.

muricata.)

[=] _Perigynium almost terete._

109. C. tenella, 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. rsea, Schkuhr. Always slender and weak, erect, 1--2 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 s.h.i.+ning, 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. RADIaTA, 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. Texensis, 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. retroflexa, Torr. Often rather stiff, 1--1 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. sparganiodes, Muhl. Stouter, stiff; culm 2--3 high; leaves very broad (usually ' 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. MURICaTA, 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 s.h.i.+ning, nerveless, the long beak minutely rough, spreading, a little longer than the sharp green or brownish scale.--Dry fields, E.

Ma.s.s., 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. Muhlenbergii, Schkuhr. Pale, growing in small tufts, 1--2 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. ENeRVIS, Boott. Perigynium nearly or entirely nerveless. Southeastern N. Y., and southward; rare.