T. Holm — Studies in the Cyperacem. 215 



from the section, even if the structure of utriculus leads us to 

 consider it as a "forma desciscens." 



In respect to the general habit the central forms and C. 

 remota are all cespitose with long, narrow leaves and rather 

 weak culms ; the spikes are small and, the uppermost at least, 

 gynsecandrous or purely pistillate; they are mostly contiguous 

 but in C. Iceviadmis they are distant, and especially so in 



C. remota, in which, furthermore, the lower bracts, subtending 

 the spikes, are developed into long leaves, more or less over- 

 topping the inflorescence. The peculiar stellate appearance of 

 the mature spikes is common to all and suggests the affinity 

 with C. exilis and its allies among the formerly so-called 

 Dioicce. There are, however, among the other species of 



Vignece several which possess similarly spreading or even 

 horizontally directed utricles, but the shape of this organ, 

 besides its internal structure, seems very distinct from what we 

 have observed in the Astrostachyce. The diagnosis of the sec- 

 tion, derived from the central forms, is as follows : 



Car ices ( Vignece) astrostachyce. 



Spikes gynsecandrous or the lower ones purely pistillate, 

 sessile. Bracts not sheathing, short and filiform. Utricles 

 horizontally spreading at maturity, broad and spongy at the 

 base, glabrous, nervose, tapering into a distinct beak with 

 scabrous, winged margins and bidentate apex, the teeth erect ; 

 stigmas two. Mostly northern species with light-brown or 

 greenish spikes. The lesser developed forms to be sought 

 among the Dioicce, of which C. exilis, especially, shows transi- 

 tion to C. echinata. C. remota may be considered as repre- 

 senting the limit of the section. 



When considering the geographical distribution of these 

 species, it appears as if only two are confined to this continent, 

 C. exilis and C. sterilis, of which the first is a very local plant, 

 only known from some localities in the northeastern section of 

 this country, New Jersey, New Foundland and Eastern Can- 

 ada ; C. Iwvicuhnis is, also, quite rare, having been recorded 

 from a few places in Kamtschatka, Alaska and Oregon, also 

 from Idaho and Washington Territory, from where Mr. Kiiken- 

 thal states (in litteris) that he has received some specimens ; 

 O. gynocrates is known from the west coast of Greenland and 

 from a number of places on this continent especially in the 

 northern and western sections, and also from the Rocky 

 Mountains ; it occurs, furthermore, in Alaska and extends 

 from there to Kamtschatka and the Bajkal Mountains ; C. 

 dioeca and C. parallela are inhabitants of the northern coun- 

 tries of Europe and Asia, and the latter species is not infre- 



