Bicknell : Ferns and flowering plants of Nantucket 487 



Nothing was seen of Carex aquatilisVIdil., which is named by 

 Mrs. Owen. In the wide variation shown by Carex Goodenovii 

 are taller, more leafy-bracted forms somewhat simulating forms 

 of C. aquatilis, the record of which, on Nantucket, it seems proper, 

 therefore, to place in abeyance until positive evidence of its occur- 

 rence is forthcoming. 



Carex Goodenovii J. Gay. 



One of the characteristic sedges of the island, growing every- 

 where in low grounds and wet places, often in such abundance as 

 to tinge fields and meadows for rods together With the bluish green 

 hue of its leaves or the dark color of its mature spikes. In full 

 »<wer June 7 ; some green spikes are to be found as late as the 

 middle of August and dried spikes over a month later. 



In many of its characters this sedge exhibits unusually wide 

 variations, but, great as these differences are, all appear to be vari- 

 ously interchangeable among the numerous forms which the species 

 assumes and I have not been able to discover that any set of 

 aracters is ever associated so securely as to indicate any very 

 strong subspecific tendency. 



•*ne form defined by Bailey as var. strictiformis {Carex vul- 

 i*is Fne S> var. strictiformis, Mem. Torrey Club 1 : 74. 1889) 

 attributed to Nantucket is readily enough recognized in its 

 . rerne state, but it is itself so variable and so confusingly involved 

 other forms that, as Professor Fernald has already concluded, 

 ere ls no sound basis for its recognition (Rhodora 4 : 224. 1902). 

 0n Nantucket this Carex varies from 1 to 8 dm. in height, the 

 f aves from longer than the culm to less than half its length and 

 01 °*5 t( > 3-5 mm. in width, and in color from glaucous blue to 

 y green ; the spikes may be short-cylindric, stiff, and sessile, 

 closely crowded spreading perigynia, or narrowly linear, 

 0r t-stalked and somewhat spreading and very loosely flowered; 

 to f, engynia var y from nearly orbicular and broadly rounded above 

 e 'Ptic and obtuse or even to narrowly oblong and acute, and 

 nj 1 . tiy few-nerved to distinctly 7-1 1 -nerved; the color at 

 p u a r U , nty varies fl *om bright pale green or dull green to black- 

 ed' the extremes of size and shape of the perigynia may be 

 ^Pressed by the measurements 3x3 mm. and 2-3.5 X 1.5 mm. ; 

 Scal es, while always very dark in color and usually rounded- 



