﻿616 Mackenzie: Notes on Carex 



wide at base, rather stiff, sharply triangular, roughened above, 

 equalling or exceeding leaves, light brown at base. Leaves 

 with well-developed blades four to six to a fertile culm, on lower half, 

 not bunched, the sheaths conspicuously septate nodulose dorsally, 

 tardily breaking, truncate and but slightly colored or thickened at 

 mouth, the blades light green, flat, 4-8 mm. wide, mostly 1-2 dm. 

 long. Head ovoid or oblong-ovoid, dense, 1-3 cm. long, 8-15 

 mm. wide, containing six to twelve androgynous spikes, the lower 

 only distinguishable. Lower bracts at least setaceous prolonged, 

 usually shorter than the head. Spikes with five to fifteen ascend- 

 ing or at maturity spreading perigynia, the apical staminate flowers 

 inconspicuous. Scales ovate, tawny tinged with three-nerved 

 green center, acuminate, cuspidate or short awned, narrower and 

 usually shorter than perigynia. Perigynia plano-convex, 4.25 

 mm. long, 3.5 mm. wide, the body orbicular, greenish, straw- 

 colored, or at maturity light yellowish-brown and rather shining, 

 nerveless ventrally, several nerved dorsally, sharply smooth- 

 margined nearly to the round-truncate somewhat spongy base, 

 the margins green, not raised, the body somewhat abruptly con- 

 tracted into a strongly bidentate serrulate beak, one fourth its 

 length. Achene lenticular, filling perigynium, 2 mm. long and 

 as wide, brownish yellow, minutely apiculate, jointed with the 

 deciduous style, the latter with much enlarged base. Stigmas two. 



A fine series of specimens collected by Dr. J. Lunell of Leeds, 

 North Dakota, has called to my attention the fact that Carex 

 gravida Bailey has been made to cover two distinct species, the 

 more northern plant on which the species was based being differ- 

 ent from the southern one. Genuine Carex gravida has the 

 perigynia nerveless on both sides or faintly nerved dorsally, the 

 body of the perigynium is ovate and tapers into the beak, and 

 the scales are mostly awned. The southern plant, which has been 

 confused with C. gravida, has perigynia strongly nerved dorsally, 

 the body of the perigynium is orbicular and contracted into the 

 beak, while the scales are cuspidate rather than awned. It 

 gives me pleasure to name this plant in honor of Dr. Lunell, who 

 has done so much towards making the flora of North Dakota 

 better known. 



Specimens examined 



Missouri: Oak Grove, Bush 7020, June 2, 1913 (type in Herb. 

 K. M., duplicate in Herb. N. Y. Bot. Garden); Greenwood, 

 Bush 670Q, May 20, 1912 (N. Y., K. M.) ; Lees Summit, Mackenzie, 



