9b. var. salinum (Standl.) B. Boivin

C. salinum Standl.

Leaf blades with the tip and marginal teeth sharply pointed. Spikes with scattered leaflike bracts. Fruits 0.8–1.0 mm long. July–November.

Introduced, uncommon, known thus far from a single collection from the city of St. Louis (native of Europe; introduced widely in the U.S. and Canada). Railroads.

Although Steyermark (1963) treated this taxon as a variety of C. glaucum, other North American authors have submerged it entirely within that species (Gleason and Cronquist, 1991; Clemants, 1992) or separated it at the species level (Bassett and Crompton, 1982). Steyermark (1963) noted that the St. Louis railyard collection originated from a population where both varieties were represented. There is some controversy as to the extent of the native range of this taxon. Some authors (Bassett and Crompton, 1982) believe that it occurs natively in portions of the western United States and Canada.