EEPOET OF THE STATE BOTANIST. 51 



staininate spike linear, 3"-9" long, borne on a stalk 2"-10" in 

 length, light brown ; pistillate spikes 2-3, approximate, the upper 

 two sometimes contiguous and sessile, or the lower two stalked, 

 the lowest sometimes borne on an erect or spreading peduncle 

 6"-9" long, subdensely or loosely flowered, often interrupted and 

 tapering at base, I'-l^' in length; bracts short setaceous, or the 

 lowest sometimes exceeding the spike ; perigynia elliptical, 

 nerved or nerveless, whitish-green, mostly covered by the blackish- 

 purple elliptical scale. 



It may be distinguished from the related species by its small 

 size, blackish fertile spikes and by its alpine habit. 



Summits of the higher peaks of the Adirondack mountains, 

 especially Mt. Whiteface and Mt. Marcy. 



In the fifth edition of Gray's Manual, Carey describes a very 

 different plant under the above name. 



42. Carex lenticularis Mx. 



Stems 10-20' high, slender, erect or somewhat spreading, 

 mostly smooth ; leaves usually shorter than the culm, ^"-1" wide, 

 rough-margined ; staminate spike cylindrical, sometimes bearing 

 a few perigynia, 3"-12" long, its stalk 2"-8" in length, brown, 

 erect ; pistillate spikes 3-4, 6"-13" long, approximate or con- 

 tiguous, sometimes the lowest distant, shortpeduncled or sessile, 

 erect or ascending, densely flowered above, more or less loosely 

 flowered and tapering' at the base ; bracts leaf-like, usually sur- 

 passing the culm; perigynia ovate, stipitate, lightly nerved, the 

 upper third sometimes conspicuously empty and a little recurved, 

 minutely pointed, one-third longer than the blunt, green and 

 brown scale. 



Well marked by its densely flowered, nearly aggregated, grayish 

 green spikes, and by the usually emjity points of the perigynia. 



Gravelly shores of lakes and streams. Adirondack mountains. 

 July. 



Var. merens Uoioe, n. var. Differs from the preceding in its 

 longer, narrower, darker colored fertile spikes, the lowest usually 

 short-pedunculate ; in its longer, wider bracts, li'-2^' longer 

 than the culm ; in its elliptical perigynia, and in its longer scale 

 which nearly covers the perigynium. 



