288 



T. Holm — Studies in the Cyperacece, 



thus they are at the base surrounded by long, withered 

 leaves from the previous year. It is strange that 

 Kiikenthal^ attributes an aphyllopodic culm to these 

 species as well as to C. salina, C. suhspatliacea, etc., which 

 certainly depends on an error. It is of lower stature than 

 the two former, but of a similar, graceful habit mth the 

 oblong-cylindric to clavate, pistillate spikes drooping on 

 very thin peducles. The scales resemble those of C. 

 crinita, and the arista attains a considerable length ; the 

 perigynium is shorter, but broader than the body of the 

 scale, mostly erect, membranaceous, ovate to obovate with 

 a short, emarginate beak; the perigynium has several, 

 but faint nerves ; the nut is constricted at the middle. 



Among twenty-three specimens from Europe and this 

 country the distribution of the sexes was as follows : 



L4 specimens 



8 



had 2 staminate spikes 

 '' 1 



1 



cc 3 



9 

 9 



" 4 pistillate 

 " 3 



5 



a 2 '' '' 



In nineteen of these the pistillate spikes were andro- 

 gynous, and in six of these all the spikes showed this 

 structure. The terminal spike was androgynous in five 

 specimens. Furthermore two pistillate spikes may be 

 developed from the axil of the same bract, which, 

 however, seems to be a rare occurrence. 



Apertcd. 



Carex aperta Boott and C, pruinosa Boott are the only 

 members of this section. 



C. aperta (Figs. 1. and 4). 



The original diagnosis^ reads as follows: 



' ' Spica mascula 1-2 oblongo-cylindrica, acuta, f oem. 2-4 oblongis 

 superioribus approximatis sessilibus apice masculis inferior! 

 remota pedicellata saepe toto f oeminea, stigm. 2, perig. orbiculatis 

 stipitatis enerviis pellucide punctatis abrupte brevi-rostratis ore 



* Cyperaceffi-Caricoidese in Engler 's Das Pflanzenreich Leipzig, 1909, p. 

 357. 



^ Flora Boreali- Americana, vol. 2, 1840, p. 218. 



