Vol. 50 No. I] 
BULLETIN 
OF THE 
TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB 
NOVEMBER, 1923 
Notes on Carex—XIII 
KENNETH K. MACKENZIE 
I. THE IDENTITY OF CAREX GOODENOWII J. GAY AND CAREX 
ACUTA L. 
One of the most widely distributed and best known species 
of Carex is the plant which in recent years has been known as 
Carex Goodenowii J. Gay, or sometimes as Carex vulgaris Fries. 
Prior to 1839 this very common European species had been 
almost universally treated by authors as Carex caespitosa L., 
but in that year J. Gay (Ann. Sc. Nat. II. 11: 191) drew attention 
to the fact that Carex caespitosa L. was in fact a closely related 
but entirely distinct species. At the same time he gave the 
name Carex Goodenowii to the species which had been passing 
as Carex caespitosa L.; and, as stated above, he has been largely 
followed by subsequent authors. 
Investigation since his time, however, has shown that a 
number of species were proposed after Linnaeus and before 1839 
which are the same as Carex Goodenowii, and in all probability 
one of these names would have to be taken up, if it were not 
for the facts hereinafter referred to. Names which would 
require careful investigation are Carex alpina Honck (1792), 
Carex ambigua Moench (1794), Carex polyandra Schkuhr 
[The BuLLETIN for October (50: 317-342. pl. 19) was issued. November 
] 
19, 1923. 
343 
