﻿122 
  T. 
  Holm 
  — 
  Studies 
  in 
  the 
  Cyjperacece. 
  

  

  By 
  considering 
  the 
  stem 
  above 
  ground, 
  this 
  is 
  not 
  terete 
  or 
  

   triangular 
  as 
  we 
  are 
  used 
  to 
  find 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  Cyperaeece, 
  but 
  

   flattened, 
  almost, 
  in 
  its 
  entire 
  length. 
  The 
  inflorescence 
  

   bears 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  staminate 
  flowers 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  

   and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  pistillate 
  ones 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  staminate, 
  

   all 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  supported 
  by 
  broad, 
  hyaline 
  and 
  silvery 
  shin- 
  

   ing 
  bracts, 
  almost 
  entirely 
  destitute 
  of 
  chlorophyll. 
  The 
  

   utriculus 
  is 
  large, 
  membranous 
  and 
  much 
  inflated. 
  It 
  encloses 
  

   the 
  pistil, 
  which 
  (Plate 
  IY, 
  flg. 
  2) 
  is 
  distinctly 
  stipitate 
  (Stp.) 
  

   and 
  with 
  the 
  rhacheola 
  (Rh.) 
  extended 
  beyond 
  the 
  pistil. 
  The 
  

   development 
  of 
  this 
  rhacheola 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  our 
  figure 
  1, 
  

   where 
  a 
  very 
  young 
  pistillate 
  flower 
  of 
  Carex 
  Fraseri 
  has 
  been 
  

   illustrated. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  drawn 
  from 
  a 
  flower 
  at 
  a 
  very 
  young 
  

   stage, 
  while 
  the 
  entire 
  inflorescence 
  was 
  still 
  inclosed 
  in 
  the 
  

   bud 
  for 
  the 
  winter. 
  This 
  figure 
  shows 
  the 
  utriculus 
  (Utr.) 
  

   forming 
  a 
  low 
  wreath 
  and 
  surrounding 
  the 
  three 
  carpels 
  (Carp.) 
  ; 
  

   on 
  the 
  front-side 
  of 
  the 
  utriculus 
  is 
  a 
  small, 
  roundish 
  body 
  to 
  

   be 
  seen 
  (Rh.), 
  which 
  represents 
  the 
  free 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  rhacheola, 
  

   being 
  here 
  extended 
  beyond 
  the 
  flower. 
  This 
  fact, 
  the 
  exten- 
  

   sion 
  of 
  the 
  rhacheola, 
  has, 
  already, 
  been 
  observed 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  

   by 
  Baillon 
  (1. 
  c.) 
  ; 
  besides 
  it 
  is 
  far 
  from 
  uncommon 
  in 
  other 
  

   species 
  of 
  Carex, 
  as 
  recorded 
  by 
  the 
  writer 
  in 
  a 
  previous 
  article 
  

   upon 
  this 
  subject.* 
  In 
  Carex 
  Fraseri 
  this 
  processus 
  is 
  most 
  

   frequently 
  without 
  any 
  rudiments 
  of 
  flowers, 
  but 
  sometimes 
  a 
  

   few 
  imperfect 
  have 
  been 
  observed. 
  

  

  Another 
  peculiarity 
  of 
  the 
  pistillate 
  flower 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  

   the 
  occasional 
  development 
  of 
  four 
  stigmata 
  ; 
  besides 
  that 
  

   Boott 
  (1. 
  c.) 
  has 
  described 
  and 
  figured 
  a 
  flower 
  with 
  two 
  

   utriculi, 
  thus 
  originating 
  from 
  two 
  separate 
  prophylla, 
  a 
  fact 
  

   which 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  exceedingly 
  rare 
  in 
  the 
  Cyperacece. 
  

  

  But 
  by 
  considering 
  these 
  morphological 
  characteristics 
  of 
  C. 
  

   Fraseri 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  there 
  does 
  not 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  any 
  character 
  

   important 
  enough 
  for 
  distinguishing 
  it 
  generically 
  from 
  the 
  

   other 
  Carices, 
  inasmuch 
  as 
  the 
  peculiarities 
  of 
  the 
  pistillate 
  

   flower, 
  the 
  extended 
  rhacheola 
  for 
  instance, 
  is 
  not 
  sufficient 
  for 
  

   admitting 
  any 
  such 
  distinction. 
  Its 
  most 
  peculiar 
  morpholog- 
  

   ical 
  character 
  is, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  a 
  closed 
  sheath 
  and 
  

   ligule 
  in 
  the 
  assimilating 
  leaf. 
  

  

  We 
  will, 
  thereupon, 
  examine 
  the 
  anatomical 
  structure 
  of 
  our 
  

   plant. 
  

  

  The 
  leaves, 
  the 
  scale-like 
  ones, 
  are 
  membranous 
  and 
  almost 
  

   destitute 
  of 
  chlorophyll. 
  The 
  epidermis 
  forms, 
  on 
  both 
  faces 
  

   of 
  the 
  leaf 
  a 
  homogeneous 
  tissue 
  of 
  rectangular 
  cells 
  with 
  the 
  

   walls 
  slightly 
  undulate. 
  Stomata 
  are 
  either 
  entirely 
  absent 
  or 
  

   merely 
  present 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  number 
  on 
  the 
  dorsal 
  face. 
  A 
  

  

  *This 
  Journal, 
  vol. 
  ii, 
  September, 
  1896, 
  p. 
  216. 
  

  

  