Notes on Carex—XI] 
KENNETH KENT MACKENZIE 
1. AN INLAND RELATIVE OF A SALT MARSH SEDGE 
The only representative of the Ovales which is an inhabitant 
of salt marshes, as far as I am aware. is Carex hormathodes 
Fernald, which is an abundant and characteristic species along 
the North American coasts from western Newfoundland to 
southeastern Virginia.* In 1902 attention was first drawn by 
Professor Fernald to an allied pla 1t found in fresh water swamps 
and reported by him as growing from Massachusetts to the 
District of Columbia. This was first treated by him as Carex 
tenera Dewey var. Richii Fernald, and later on as Carex hor- 
mathodes var. Richii Fernald. 
In northern New Jersey this variety Richii is an abundant 
plant in places in swampy meadows, and with its graceful 
nodding heads is one of the most pleasing and attractive of our 
sedges. It is in every way a much more handsome plant than 
is Carex hormathodes. But not only does it have an entirely 
different habitat and a different appearance, but it has technical 
characters which are absolutely good. The perigynia have 
suborbicular bodies abruptly contracted into the beaks; the 
perigynia are loosely ascending or spreading in the spikes; 
the terminal spike is abruptly contracted at base below the 
perigynia, and the staminate portion is conspicuous; and the 
spikes are scattered in a very flexuous head. In Carex hormatho- 
des on the other hand the perigynia have oblong-ovate bodies 
much less abruptly contracted into the beaks; the perigynia 
are appressed ; the terminal spike tapers at base, and the staminate 
portion is short; and the upper spikes are approximate. The 
* The inland reports for this species are all erroneous, as also are the re- 
ports of its occurrence from further south than southeastern Virginia. It 
however is to be expected at least as far south as North Carolina, The var. 
invisa (Boott) Fernald represents nothing but stunted specimens. 
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