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.