December, 1919] 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



115 



prairie. The centre is slightly depressed and oc- 

 cupied by an extensive bog which suggests that the 

 place was, in geologically recent times, somewhat 

 atoll-shaped. The river waters are decidedly fresh, 

 less so at the lower end. The wave action — very 

 powerful, save on the northern side sheltered by the 

 high Laurentian cliffs of the mainland — has pro- 

 duced a noticeable bar of sand and gravel behind 

 which has developed a continuous lagoon generally 

 transformed into a marsh by the invasion of halo- 

 phytes. 



The leading plant in this particular habitat is the 

 polymorphic Carex acuta L. ( = C. goodenoughii 

 J. Gay) ; the abundant rhizomes form a felted en- 

 tanglement about as troublesome to farmers as the 

 familiar couch grass. It is locally called "teigne," 

 a very expressive word with the French Canadians, 

 indicating something not easy to get rid of. Various 

 sedges and flowering plants help C. acuta in filling 

 the lagoons: Carex recta Boott, Carex canescerts L., 

 var. disjuncta Fernald, C. Tuckermani Dewey, C. 

 crinifa Lam., C. maritima Miiell., Caltha palustris 

 L., Spathyen^a foetida (L.), Raf., which occurs also 

 in dry ground, Men^anthes trifoliala L., Taraxacum 

 officinale Weber, var. palusire (Sm.) Blytt., Carda- 

 mine pennsylvanica Muhl., Pedicularis palustris L., 

 Sis^rinchium angustij olium Mill., Galium palustre 

 L., Triglochim maritima L. Myosotis laxa Lehm., 

 and true Viola cucullata Ait., a name regarding 

 which there has been some confusion in recent years. 



No botanist would neglect a favorable opportun- 

 ity to visit a northern bog. So, we started one fine 

 morning with a party of barefooted youngsters roUsed 

 to a high pitch of enthusiasm by trout prospects in 

 the "Rouisseau Rouge." "Rouisseau Rouge," which 

 derives its name from the dark color of the acid 

 waters, is a brook discharging the bog waters into 

 the St. Lawrence. 



The Isle-aux-Coudres bog does not seem to differ 

 materially from those of Rimouski and Temiscouata. 

 As far as we have been able to see there is no free 

 water in it. At this early season the water table 

 was so high that we were able to inspect only the 

 outer zone. With the usual Kalmia auguslifolia 

 L. Kalmia polifolia L. and Ledum groenlandicum 

 Oeder, we were glad to see for the first time the 

 fine flowers of Rubus Chamaemorus L. The amber- 

 colored fruits are known everywhere in this district 

 as "hlact(biercs" an obvious corruption of the Eng- 

 lish word "blackberry." All those who have seen 

 the ripe fruit of this plant will, no doubt, wonder 

 at such a linguistic feat. 



The genus Carex is always worthy of investiga- 

 tion in northern bogs. Here were found C. tris- 

 perma Dewey, a small form of C. paucifloru Lightf., 

 and a new variety of C. paupercula Michx., which 



Mr. M. L. Fernald of the Gray Herbarium has re- 

 cently described' as follows: 



"Carex paupercula Michx., var. brevisquama n. 

 var., squamis 3-4 mm. longis perigynium subaequan- 

 tibus. Scales 3-4 mm. long, about equalling the 

 perigynium. Quebec: Isle-aux-Coudres, Charle- 

 voix Co., June, 1917. Bro. M. Victorin. No. 4021 

 (type in Gray Herbarium). 



Remarkable for its very short scales which give 

 the plants a distinctive aspect, the long-acuminate 

 scales of typical C. paupercula being 5-8 mm., in 

 length and much exceeding the perigynium. M. L. 

 Fernald, Gray Herbarium." 



The departure from the typical form is indeed 

 striking and in the light of more abundant material 

 might prove specific. The plant grew in a dense 

 mass forming a small tussock. 



Mr. M. L. Fernald had already made a detailed 

 study of C. paupercula and its allies,'' indicating 

 clearly that the plant described by Michaux* is in 

 reality a northern extreme of the C. irrigua of J. E. 

 Smith. ' Consequently, Michaux's name has prior- 

 ity. Furthermore, Michaux's plant, collected at 

 Lake Mistassini has been shown to be of restricted 

 boreal distribution, the species being represented 

 southward by three distinct variations which may 

 be summarized as follows: 



Carex paupercula and allies. 



Pistillate spikes short-oblong, 4-10 mm. in length. 

 Pistillate scales 2-3 times as long as the 

 perigynium. 



1. C. paupercula. 



Pistillate scales about equalling the perigynium. 



2. C. paupercula var. brevisquama. 

 Pistillate spikes cylindric, 10-18 mm. in length. 



Pistillate scales dark, castaneous; culms 

 glabrous. 



3. C. paupercula var. irrigua. 

 Pistillate scales green with brown border; 

 culms scabrous. 



4. C. paupercula var. pollens. 

 Carex paupercula Michx. — Northern Quebec; 



Lake Mistassini and the Shikshocks Mountains of 

 Gaspe. 



Carcv paupercula Michx., var brevisquama Fer- 

 nald — Quebec; known only from the type locality, 

 Isle-aux-Coudres. 



Carex paupercula Michx., var. irrigua (\\ ah- 

 lemb.) Fernald — Boreal and alpine Eurcpe, sub- 

 arctic regions and cold bogs of America: Quebec, 

 Ontario, Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, 

 Utah. 



Carex paupercula Michx., var. pallens Fernald — 

 Nova Scotia, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachu- 



2Rho{lora XX: ir.2. liHS. 



:iRlio(lora VIII: 7:f. 1M06 



4Klora Hort'iiIi-.Amtrieana II: 172. \S0^. 



•"■Hoiiiie. l^aric. CJerni.: 72, 1826. 



