Notes on Carex —VI 
KENNETH KENT MACKENZIE 
CAREX TETANICA SCHK. AND ITS ALLIES 
The above species, which is widely distributed in the north- 
eastern part of the United States, has been the source of some 
diversity of opinion among botanists who have given special atten- 
tion to our species of Carex. Like many other species, it shows a 
considerable amount of variation, and the perigynia, moreover, seem 
unusually variable. Several varieties or allied species have been 
from time to time proposed. But all of these, with the exception 
of Carex Woodit Dewey and Carex Meadii Dewey, have with good 
reason been relegated to synonymy. 
I have gone carefully over the original description of Carex 
Woodit Dewey, as well as studied some of the original specimens 
(almost unrecognizable scraps) collected by Dr. Wood in Jefferson 
County, New York, and preserved in the New York Botanical 
Garden. From this study it seems to me that the plant is best 
treated as a slim form of Carex tetanica Schk., and is not worthy 
of recognition. * 
Carex Meadii Dewey, on the other hand, seems to be clearly 
worthy of recognition. It is undoubtedly closely related to Carex 
tetanica, but holds its distinctive features over a large area of 
country. The two species are, moreover, readily told apart in 
large collections of herbarium material, and good specimens 
which cannot be referred at once to the proper one of these two 
species are very few in number. 
The curious point, however, in dealing with this group is that 
there are certain local plants apparently but little collected which 
* Some old specimens in the Torrey Herbarium collected in Jefferson County, New 
York, by an unnamed collector and marked Carex Woodii are, however, Carex colorata, 
hereinafter described. It is possible that these represent Carex JWoodii, but in the 
absence of any definite evidence I have preferred to regard the common slender form of 
Carex — — regarded as Carex Woodii as that plant. A good example of 
what I reg: Carex Woodii is a specimen collected June 17, 1902, by Rich, 
Williams & cae at Sudbury, Pa etts. 
231 
