1923] Weatherby,— Critical Plants of Atlantic North America 19 
me that Curtis's phaenogamic herbarium was broken up after his 
death and distributed among a number of small institutions: under 
these cireumstances I have been unable to locate the type of C. 
Mitchelliana. In the herbarium of Brown University is a sheet on 
which Olney has noted that the plant represented thereon was sub- 
mitted to Curtis and that he said it looked “mighty like C. Mitchel- 
liana." This plant is the short-spiked form of C. crinita, var. gynandra 
distributed by Olney as C. gynandra, var. caroliniana. In the 
Dewey herbarium is a specimen labelled, in Dewey’s handwriting, 
*C. Mitchelliana. S. Carolina . . . Sent from Rev. J. [sic] 
Ashley Curtis." This is a stunted individual of the plant here 
treated as C. Mitchelliana. In the cover with it is a specimen, from 
Olney, of a form of C. crinita, var. gynandra with unusually short 
and thick spikes. "This corresponds closely with Dewey’s figure of 
C. Mitchelliana (Am. Journ. Sci. xlviii, pl. Dd, f. 98) and is probably 
the specimen there illustrated. It seems likely, therefore, that Dewey, 
perhaps misled by Curtis's emphasis on the shortness of the spikes, 
confused the coastal plain plant with reduced forms of C. crinita, 
var. gynandra. The nerved and strongly granular perigynium figured 
by Boott certainly belongs to the coastal plain plant; but the con- 
torted achene and the strongly hispidulous sheaths illustrated suggest 
that he also had mixed material. 
It is possible that Curtis likewise included two things under C. 
Mitchelliana. But, in the absence of the real type, the specimen 
sent by him! to Dewey is apparently the only authentic material 
available: I am accordingly taking it as typical of the species and as 
determining the application of the name. 
The following key may serve to place C. Mitchelliana in relation 
to the main variants of C. crinita: 
a. Perigynia smooth or nearly so, the sides nerveless or some- 
times with a single median nerve which reaches the apex; 
achenes oblong to obovate, variously bent or contorted, 
often with a deep wrinkle on one or both edges near the 
middle. b 
b. Sheaths smooth and glabrous. c 
c. Spikes densely flowered, the somewhat spreading 
and crowded perigynia inflated, broad-ovoid to 
obovoid, loosely investing the achene and longer 
A A Iona REM HEURES OE ER HEELS 
c. Spikes less densely flowered, the ascending perigynia 
not inflated, closely investing the achene and only 
slightly longer than it, ellipsoid or ovoid............. var. Porteri. 
1 The use of the initial “J” instead of '*' M" in Curtis's name on the label appears 
to be a slip of the pen on Dewey's part. Curtis's letters to Dr. Gray testify that he 
sent Carices to Dewey on various occasions. 
