506 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 
Ruope Isianp, Cumberland (8. 7. Olney): Connecticut, Southington, 
June 4, 1899 (C. H. Bissell); Fairfield, June 23, 1901 (#. H. Eames, 
no. 168): Micnie@an, Detroit, May 22, 1864, June, 1860, May 9, 1858 
(Wm. Boott): Virernta, Harper's Ferry, May 7, 1881 (John Donnell 
Smith): Norra Carorina, Broad River, May, 1841 (Rugel according 
to Kunze, 1. ¢.). The long slender beak of the perigynium and its 
essentially northern and montane range suggest that further knowledge 
of the plant may show it to be well distinguished from C. pennsylvanica. 
No other character has yet been found by which it can be recognized, and 
occasional individuals show transitions in the elongation of the beak. 
Var. VESPERTINA, Bailey, Mem. Torr. Cl. i. 74. Rather coarser than 
the species: the usually very dark staminate spikelet peduncled: peri- 
gynia more coarsely hairy, almost hirsute. —The northwestern form, 
from the Cascade Mts. of British CorumBra to OreGon and VaN- 
COUVER IsLANpD. 
CAREX UMBELLATA. 
Like C. pilulifera and C. pennsylvanica, C. umbellata, Schkuhr, pre- 
sents considerable variation in the length and breadth of its leaves and 
in the length of its culms and peduncles, As in those species, likewise, 
these purely vegetative characteristics in C. umbellata seem to accompany 
no fixed characteristic of the perigynia, nor any special geographic areas ; 
and too often the long-peduncled spikelets of the so-called var. vicina 
may be found on portions of a clump which is otherwise good C. um- 
bellata. As in the related species just discussed, however, C. wmbellata 
presents at least two geographic tendencies seemingly characterized by 
constant differences in the perigynia. A third form, of which we as 
yet know too little, has the perigynia glabrous, thus breaking through 
one of the distinguishing marks of the Montanae. 
Carex umbellata is related on the one hand to C. nigro-marginata, and 
on the other to C. deflexa. From these two it is usually distinguished 
without difficulty, but occasional specimens occur which are perplexing. 
The writer has found that in such cases the best means of distinction 
between C. umbellata and C. nigro-marginata is offered by the thickness 
of the perigynia. In C. nigro-marginata the mature perigy nia vary 
from 1.3 to 1.6 mm. in thickness, while in mature C. wmbellata they 
are from 1.7 to 2.4 mm. thick. From doubtful forms of C. deflexa, C- 
umbellata may best be distinguished by an examination of the scales. 
: n C. umbellata the scales are nearly or quite as long as the subtended 
_ perigynia, while in ©. deflera they are distinctly shorter. 
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Syn Seth eee ee ee 
