MACKENZIE: NOTES ON CAREX 553 
14. CAREX TONSA (Fernald) Bickn. Bull. Torrey Club 35: 492. 
1908 
Carex umbellata var. tonsa Fernald, Proc. Am. Acad. 37:507. 1902. 
Densely cespitose, freely short-stoloniferous; culms 2-15 cm. 
high, much exceeded by the leaves, sharply triangular, strongly 
roughened on the angles, strongly reddish-brown tinged and 
fibrillose at base, phyllopodic; sterile culms aphyllopodic, the 
sheaths little filamentose. Leaves numerous and conspicuous, the 
blades spreading, deep green, 2.5-4 mm. widewithrevolute margins, 
5-25 cm. long, rough towards the long attenuate apex; staminate 
spike 6-12 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, the obovate scales acute, 
reddish brown with greenish or straw-colored center and white- 
hyaline margin; pistillate spike occasionally present at base of 
staminate, sessile or nearly so, erect-ascending; basal pistillate 
spikes 2-3, on long slender peduncles, short-oblong, 6-1omm. long, 
4.5-6 mm. wide, containing 3-20 closely packed appressed- 
ascending perigynia in several ranks; bract at base of uppermost 
spike setaceous, not sheathing, from much shorter than to slightly 
exceeding spike; scales conspicuous, ovate, shori-cuspidate to 
acute, wider and from slightly shorter to slightly longer than 
perigynia, whitish or straw-colored hyaline, with green midrib, the 
upper often with purplish brown margins; perigynia 3.5-4.5 mm. 
long, the body broadly oval, 1.75 mm. long, 1.25 mm. wide, 
tapering into the stipitate base 0.75 mm. long and the beak 1.75- 
2.5 mm. long, the body compressed-orbicular and obscurely 
triangular in cross-section, 2-ribbed, otherwise nerveless or nearly 
so, very sparsely short-pubescent above and on the strongly 2- 
edged bidentate beak; achenes short-obovoid, triangular, filling 
perigynia, brownish, shining, pitted, the superficial cells incon- 
spicuous, substipitate, 1.5 mm. long, closely fitting perigynia, 
the sides convex and angles sharp and narrow; style slender; 
stigmas thr 
SPECIMENS EXAMINED: 
CanapDa: Lake Ellen, Ontario, Macoun 32020, July 1, 1884 
(D. C.); “British N. W. America,” Richardson (D. C.); Chalk 
River, Ottawa Valley, Macoun 16675, May 30, 1884 (D. C.); 
Cape a L’Aigle, Quebec, Macoun 67504, July 27, 1905 (D. C.); 
Truro, Nova Scotia, Macoun 32018, June 14, 1883 (D. C.). 
Marne: Orono, Fernald, May 15, 1902 (N. Y., K. M.); also 
May 29, 1890 and June 2, 1890 (C). 
Micnican: White Hall, Wheeler, June 27, 1900 (D. C.). 
