l^ Holm, The genus Carex in North -West America. 



North prevents us from counting them among our northwestern 

 types. C. macroce2)hala is not confined to our region either, since 

 it has been reported from Eastern Asia : Siberia, Japan and China. 

 The only northwestern type is an ally of C. Douglas] u namely 

 C. irrasa, so far only known from Idaho and Washington, besides 

 the variety hradecda of C. macrocephaki, coUected in Alaska. 



Carices athrostachyae. 



As mentioned above several of these occur in our region and 

 are by no means infrequent, nevertheless none of these may be 

 considcred as types. In regard to C. festiva, which is here accom- 

 panied by several and very well marked varieties, we feel inclined 

 to believe that the center of the geographical distribution as well 

 as of the development of the species must be sought on this 

 continent, and especially in the Rocky Mountains, rather than in 

 Greenland or in northern Europe. C. festiva is here associated 

 with some more or less aberrant forms, which we have enumerated 

 as varieties, and some of these exhibit a very distinct habit for 

 instance Haijdenkma and decumhens yet with the characters of the 

 species well retained, and besides these we meet with closely 

 allied species as for instance ( '. afhrosfachija, multimoda and j^eta- 

 sata. Some others, but of a more distant relationship, occur also 

 as associates, prominent among which are C. pratensis, aenea and 

 Liddonii, thus the grex is well represented in our region even if 

 it does not contain any types that are limited to North -West- 

 America alone. 



Carices pterocarpae. 



With the exception of C. stramimformis all the other species 

 that are represented in our region are eastern; none of these are 

 frequent and none have been observed in Alaska or in Yukon. 



Cari CCS cephalostachya e. 



C. pansa is a northwestern type; it shows the same habit as 

 C. arenaria, but the spikes are almost black and the scale-like 

 leaves of the creeping rhizome very dark. The occurrence of 

 C. foetida in this region so very remote from its European stations 

 is difticult to explain; it seems, also, very stränge that C. Ga>/ana, 

 a South-American species, has reached our region. 



Carices melananthae. 



Of the Vignea-like „formae hehetatae" C. alpina is the only 

 one that inhabits our region, and it is rare. Among the higher 

 developed species C. atrata and chalciolepis have been found at 

 a few stations, but are more frequent farther east and south, 

 especially in the Rocky Mountains. A species that is very 

 charactcristic and peculiar to the region is, on the other hand, 

 C. Mertensii . known from many places in Alaska, Oregon and 

 Washington, besides from Idaho, British Columbia and Vancouver 

 island, extending as far east as Montana. It represents the most 

 evolute type of the grex, and is readily distinguished by its 

 numerous gynaecandrous, heavy, drooping spikes and pale, very 

 thin perigynia. C. stijlosa with its nearest ally C. accedens are, also, 



