Holm, The genus Carex in North -West America. 



19 



World homologues may be sought among C. trkostata, turfosa and 



In passing to C. rigida, the typical plant has been collected at 

 Port Clarence, on St. Paul island and in Yukon, while the var. 

 inferalxjina seems to be more frequent and has been collected 

 at several stations in Alaska and Washington. 



In regard to the occurrence of C. aquaülis in our region, the 

 type seems to be rare in Alaska and Yukon, while the' var 

 ejngejos is quite frequent (Port Clarence, Point Barrow, Popoff 

 islands etc.). In C. s-phacelata and chlonophüa Yukon possesses 

 two types, which approach C. aqiiatiUs, yet the color of the spikes 

 and the structure of the perigynium is somewhat different, hence 

 we prefer to consider them distinct from this, at least at present. 

 The stoloniferous and very leafy C. coustmiJis is another specie.s 

 characteristic of Yukon, which according to habit also reminds of 

 C. rigiäa and lujperhorecL and the writer feels indeed uncertain 

 as to where it may be properly placed in the grex, especially on 

 account of the orbicular, purplish-spotted perigynium with' the 

 prominently denticulate margins and very short, entirc beak, 

 characters that seldom go together among these species. 



A near ally is C. cyclocarpa, also from Yukon, of which the 

 perigynium is turgid, nearly globose, brownish with purplish spots 

 above, but glabrous. C. intcrnipta, a rare species, so far only 

 known from river-beds, river-banks and bottom-lands in Oregon 

 and Washington, is another type, readily distinguished from^all 

 the others by the very long and slender pistillate spikes, and by 

 the perigynia which are two-nerved, sparingly denticulate, with 

 the short, obliquely cut beak. 



It is now interesting to see that to these members of the 

 Mwrorhynchap may be added C. acHÜna. which has been found 

 at some stations in Yukon, Idaho and Oregon, but which is much 

 more frequent in the mountains of Wyoming, Montana and Colo- 

 rado and to where it more properly belongs. Like C. vulgaris 

 and aquaülis this species represents really a central type of a 

 group of species, not so very unlike the European acuta^) and 

 its allies. As a matter of fact C. Umnocharis from Yukon resem- 

 bles very much Ü. prolixa and seems allied to C. acutina to the 

 same extent as prolixa to acuta. C. variahüis, which shows much 

 the same distribution as acutina, has also been observed in our 

 region, but is evidently rare. 



A species that appears intermediate between C. variahilis 

 and lenticularis is C. pachijstoma from Oregon and Washington, 

 the perigynium of which shows a peculiar thick beak with the 

 orifice narrow and slightly emarginate on the outer face. To this 

 same group belongs C. Sitchensls, which for many years has been 



1) The Statement by Mr. Ostenfeld in Flora Arctica (p. 73) that C. 

 acuta, occurs in ,, Northern North America" is uncorrect, since it has, so far, 

 never been observed on this continent. This same writer has, furthermore, 

 credited C. capspitnsa L. and C. stricta Good. to North America, where they 

 have never been found. The geographical distribution as given in Flora 

 Arctica is altogether very faulty in regard to many of the species treated, 

 and we regret to say that the Synonyms and diagnoses fare no better. 



2* 



