144 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
some instances important structural features were presented in a very 
prominent manner. 
“CYPERITES PAUCINERVIS, Heer. 
“The leaves, represented by fragments upwards of 2 em. in length, 
when highly carbonized present no structure whatever, but in other in- 
stances exhibit well-defined venation. They measure from 1-5 to 3 mm. 
in width. The midrib is in all cases obscure, but the nerves are promin- 
ent and upwards of eight in number. The venation shows no transverse 
union. These leaf fragments are in all cases entirely separate from their 
stems which, in fact, do not appear in any part of the matrix, while there 
is also no connection between them and the associated fruits. They may 
represent the foliage of either grasses or sedges, since they display no 
character by which they may be referred with certainty to either one 
family or the other, although the strongly-defined nerves may possibly 
incline us to regard them as more properly referable to the sedges. 
“ Lesquereux has already described one species of Carex (C. berthoudi) 
from the Tertiary of North America, but it differs materially from our 
specimen in its much broader leaves.’ 
“Heer has described a large number of Cyperaceous plants, under 
the genera Carex, Cyperus and Cyperites, from the Tertiary of Europe.” 
An examination of his figures and descriptions shows that, with respect 
to width and number of nerves, our specimen corresponds closely with 
his Cyperites paucinervis, which is also represented wholly by leaves, and 
to which the plant under discussion should be referred provisionally. 
“CAREX VANCOUVERENSIS, n. SP. 
“ (Fig. 5.) 
“The fruit is represented by a single spike which is terminal to 
a rather stoutish stem, and measures 14 mm. in length by 3°) mm. in 
width. The individual fruits are ovate, acute, with a rather broad and 
rounded base, 1:25 mm. long and 0:75 mm. broad, but devoid of any obvious 
perigynia. They are disposed in two very regular lateral ranks, in which 
they are slightly ascending, while a third rank occupies a central position. 
but in it the fruits are foreshortened and compressed, and thus appear as 
round or shortly oval bodies. 
“ On each side of the erect spike is a very narrow carbonized line. 
These join at the base of the spike, and probably represent either two 
involucral bracts, or a floral bract and the extension of the floral axis 


1 U.S. Geol. Surv., Ter. Fl., p. 92, pl. ix. 1-4. 
2 Flor. Ter. Helv., i., 74, ete.; iii., 164-165. 
