T. Holm — Studies %n the CyjperacecB. 15 



that none of these seem restricted to certain northern or south- 

 ern latitudes. On the other hand, the variation of C.f estiva 

 appears to be well marked in proportion to longitude, and it so 

 happens that while the type seems to be equally dispersed 

 from Alaska to Scandinavia, certain varieties are restricted to 

 within the boundaries of the Pacific slope eastward to the 

 Rocky Mountains, in other words, the species affords an excel- 

 lent example of longitudinal variation, which we believe is a 

 feature common to plants of southern origin in contrast to 

 northern types. 



Now in regard to the plant from Chilliwack Valley, and we 

 refer especially to Nos. 26,645 and 46, this seems to represent 

 the species as it is generally recognized, although the perigy- 

 nium (fig. 1) is faintly several-nerved, and it must be borne in 

 mind that Dewey makes no mention of such nervation in his 

 diagnosis of the species :* " Spicis distigmaticis androgynis, 

 superne pistilliferis subsenis ovatis in capitulum dense aggre- 

 gatis ; fructibus ovatis oblongis rostratis in apice serrulatis 

 bifidis convexo-planis, squama ovata acutiuscula longioribus." 



The specimens upon which the species was established came 

 from " Bear Lake and the Rocky Mountains." However, all sub- 

 sequent authors describe the perigynium as nerved on both faces, 

 faintly or even prominently so, and Boott,f " who had authen- 

 tic material at his disposal, did not hesitate to refer similar 

 specimens with the perigynium kt nervose " to this species of 

 Dewey. And, so far, all individuals that have been examined 

 and described exhibit such nervation to a more or less extent, 

 a character that seems, besides, to be common to all the vari- 

 eties known. It may be that the Chilliwack plant is nearer 

 the type than any of the others on account of the perigynium 

 being merely faintly few-nerved, but otherwise it is hardly 

 different from the one figured as No. 2 on the same plate, taken 

 from a specimen collected at Kananaskis in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains of British Columbia. We might here call attention to the 

 fact that the majority of specimens, generally recognized as typ- 

 ical, from this continent as well as from Greenland and Scandi- 

 navia exhibit the same nervation and outline of perigynium as 

 the plant from Kananaskis (fig. 2). The habit of these specimens 

 is exactly the same, furthermore the shape and color of the 

 inflorescence is also similar. If we, on the other hand, exam- 

 ine some of the varieties, for instance " decumhens" (fig. 4), 

 we observe a perigynium of much larger proportions and a 

 habit, which is very distinct, and which, to some extent, may 

 call to mind that of Car ex incurva Liglitf. In the var. Hay- 

 deniana (fig. 3) the perigynium shows the same nervation, 



* This Journal, vol. xxix, 1836, p. 246. 

 flllustr. of the genus Carex, vol. 1, p. 26. 



