FERNALD. — CARICES OP SECTION HYPARRHENAE. 459 



Carex canescens^ L., is characterized by its glaucous color and strongly 

 appressed-ascending elliptic pointed perigynia tapering very gradually 

 to the short beak. Another plant, G. brunnescens, Poir. (C. canescens, 

 var. alpicola, Wahl., C. canescens, var. vulgaris, Bailey), is usually 

 bright green, and the few loosely spreading-ascending perigynia are 

 rather abruptly contracted to a definite serrulate-based beak. This plant 

 is common in dry soils throughout the boreal sections of America and 

 Europe ; while the glaucous G. canescens is a species of very wet 

 situations. Under various names, G. vitilis, Fries, C. Gehhardii, Hoppe, 

 etc., G. hrunnescens has been treated as a species, and as often again as a 

 variety of G. canescens. An examination of much material shows its 

 characters to be essentially constant, and, though the plant superficially 

 resembles small forms of G. canescens, its claim to specific rank rests 

 upon a number of definite characters, 



"When Garex arcta and G. brunnescens are removed from C. canescens, 

 there remains a species characterized by its glaucous foliage and ap- 

 pressed scarcely beaked perigynia. This species presents in America 

 three noteworthy variations. The true G. canescens, L., of northern 

 Europe has the spikes 2.5 to 5 cm. long, of 4 to 7 oblong-cylindric to 

 narrowly obovoid spikelets 0.6 to 1 cm. long. This plant occurs in 

 Arctic America coming south to northern New England and New York, 

 the Rocky Mts., and Vancouver. Rare in the eastern United States 

 and Canada, the typical form of G. canescens has been misinterpreted 

 by recent American students, although the species was very clearly 

 discussed by Francis Boott. The American plant which has passed 

 as true G. canescens is, however, strikingly different in aspect, and 

 consequently the typical plant has more than once been published as 

 a local American variety — var. dubia, Bailey, and var. robustina, 

 Macoun. 



Another form of Garex canescens common to northern Europe and 

 America is var. svbloliacea, Laestadius. In this plant the spike is 

 usually rather shorter than in typical G. canescens, the less approximate 

 globose or short-oblong few-flowered spikelets are only 4 to 7 mm. long, 

 and the smaller perigynium is nearly or quite smooth. In its smooth 

 perigynium this plant approaches G. heleonastes, which, however, has 

 larger spikelets and perigynia and quite lacks the distinctive glaucous 

 aspect of G. canescens. The var. suhloliacea, which is commoner in 

 northern New England than is the true C. canescens, also simulates 

 G. brunnescens ; but it is very canescent and the perigynia otherwise as 

 in true G. canescens are essentially smooth, while in the greener G. 



