40 BOTANICAL BULLETIN. 



C. laxijlora, Lam. This surpasses all our other Carices in variety, although not 

 in abundance. It straggles over the ground with long, weak, reclining culms, or 

 stands in little upright tufts. The commonest variety is var. plantaginea, Boott., 

 which is found in considerable abundance on rich hill-sides. 



C. oligocarpa, Schk. occurs but sparingly, but is well distinguished by its 

 densely striate perigynia. All my specimens have the point of the perigynium 

 somewhat oblique and sometimes it is so nearly recurved I would be tempted to 

 call it C. Hitchcockiana, but for its very smooth leaves and sheaths and slender 

 habit. 



C. eburnea, Boott. This delicate and beautiful little Carex grows in dense 

 bunches in Clifty ravine and mats the bases of some of the limestone cliffs with its 

 soft spray. The good fruiting specimens seem to be rather hard to get, for it takes 

 careful hunting here to get all that is wanted. 



C Emmonsii, Dew. probably occurs here but no perigynia have been found 

 mature enough to satisfactorily settle the point. 



C. Pennsylvanica, Lam , C. pubescens, Muhl., C. debilis, Michx., and C. lanugin- 

 osa, Mx., all occur in abundance. 



C. tentaculata. Muhl. The section of Carices with long-beaked and inflated 

 perigynia, is well represented here. This, together with the four following 

 species fill all our swampy ground, and could be secured bj' the thousands. This 

 species, in my opinion, has the most beautiful achenium of any Carex with which 

 I am acquainted. The graceful outline and the papillose-roughened surface make 

 it an exceedingly lovely object when looked at through a good clear glass. There 

 is one peculiarity about it that I have not seen mentioned anj'where. I 

 have opened dozens of the inflated perigynia and in every case have found the 

 long style ascending from the achenium bayonet fashion, making two sharp 

 bends. A line or two from the top of the achenium it makes a sharp bend until it 

 reaches the wall of the perigynium and then hugs it closely to the apex. It re- 

 minded me strongly of the long bent middle awn on the lower palet of Aristida 

 dichotoma, Michx. May be this is a contrivance for burying the achenium on the 

 principle suggested by Mr. Francis Darwin in the case of Stipa pennata. 



C. intumescens, Eudge. This is pi^^bably the most abundant of the last five 

 species in this list. In nearly all specimens collected the beak is perfectly smooth 

 except the two teeth which are very rough. 



C. Inpulina, Muhl. This is the largest, coarsest looking sedge we have, and 

 one would hardly expect to find any beauty in it. But if one of those large blad- 

 dery inflated perigynia be looked at through a glass, any one Avill confess its 

 beauty. The walls of the perigynium seem to be more membranous than usual 

 and easily let the light pass through them. This brings out about twenty promi- 

 nent nerves which stand up sharp and distinct, while between these is the most 

 delicate reticulation. Now strip oft' the perigynium and look at the large acheni- 

 um and long style. The same delicate reticulation extends from the bottom of the 

 achenium to the tip of the style, making it all look like one piece. The style in 

 this species makes the same bends as that in C. tentaculata, but instead of bending 

 in the same plane it makes a spiral twist. 



C. squarrosa, L. In all my specimens the scales are lanceolate-acute and 

 very far from "blunt." The perigynia of this species have the same reticulation as 

 that above, but they lack the strong ribs of the former. The achenium and style are 

 reticulated in the same way, but seem very much darker. The style has the same 

 twist as in C. lupulina, but still more so, often making three bends in a spiral. 



C. stenolepis, Torr. The long awn-like scales of this species Avhen seen through 

 a microscope remind one of the weapon of the saw-fish. The beak rises from the 

 very deeply sunken summit of the perigynium. The achenium is decidedly wedge- 

 shaped in outline with a short abruj^t point. 



Several other Carices have been collected but have not yet been studied.— Ed. 



