18 Holm — Studies in the Cyperaceae. 



very unlike the species so named, and, indeed, by no 

 means conspecific ; moreover the recently published diag- 

 nosis by Kiikenthal (I. c.) deviates in several respects 

 from the original as well as from the figure, cited above. 



The original diagnosis of Gar ex podocarpa* reads : 

 " spica mascula solitaria, f emineis binis pendulis oblongis, 

 stigmatibus tribus, fructibus ellipticis brevissime rostel- 

 latis integris lsevibus acheniisque pedicellatis, foliis cauli- 

 nis inferioribus brevioribus lanceolatis. Brown M. S." 

 The species is described together with C. capillaris and 

 C. limosa in a separate section: "spicis sexu distinctis, 

 mascula solitaria, f emineis omnibus pedunculatis." 

 According to our friend, the late Mr. C. B. Clarke at 

 Kew (in litteris April 16, 1902), the figure by Boott (I. c.) 

 is accurately drawn, and shows the specimen collected by 

 Richardson n. 370, upon which Robert Brown founded 

 the species. The species is phyllopodic and stolonif- 

 erous; the nut is stipitate. But in accordance with 

 Kiikenthal (I. c. p. 410) C. podocarpa is aphyllopodic 

 " Scitae aphyllopodce," and his description calls for a 

 larger plant with two to three pistillate spikes, the basal 

 remote, born on a long, very slender peduncle. No men- 

 tion is made of Boott 's figure, and among the specimens 

 examined, reference is made to Richardson's plant (n. 

 370), and, furthermore, some specimens collected by J. 

 Macoun in Alberta: Sheep Mt., Watertown Lake (n. 

 10731). 



These specimens from Alberta average from thirty-five 

 to forty-five cm. in height ; the number of pistillate spikes 

 is from three to six, but mostly three ; the nut is stipitate. 

 But characteristic of these specimens is the dimorphic 

 structure of the shoots, some being purely vegetative, 

 others purely floral, the latter bearing leaf-sheaths with 

 very short blades. They illustrate, in other words, the 

 structure by Elias Fries defined as * ' aphyllopodic. ' ' We 

 have previously called attention to this peculiar structure 

 of shoots noticeable in several species of Carex* but 

 since the structure has been misunderstood or not con- 

 sidered of sufficient importance as a morphological 

 character, judging from a number of instances in the 



3 Plants from the Appendix to Captain Franklin 's narrative. London, 

 1823. (The miscellaneous botanical works of Robert Brown, vol. 2, p. 517, 

 London, 1867.) 



4 Holm, Theo: Segregates of Car ex Tolmiei Boott. (This Journal, vol. 

 14, p. 418, December, 1902.) 



