T. Holm — Studies in the Cyperacem. 267 



"Spica mascula solitaria erecta, femineis tristigmaticis 2-3 

 oblongis compactis longe pedunculatis pendulis, bracteis brevis- 

 sime vaginantibus subaphyllis, fructibus globoso-ovatis marginato- 

 ancipitibus turgidis nervosis obtusis, rostello tereti apiculatis, 

 squamis late ovatis convexis obtusis mucronatis obvolutis, culmo 

 acutangulo, foliis linearibus planis." And under C. rariflora 

 Fries states the reason why he keeps them separate : ' ' Praecedentis 

 quasi forma reducta, vix spithamam alta, nulli tamen adsunt 

 transitus et facie mox distincta. Squamae in utraque conf ormes, 

 piceae." 



The species shows exactly the same habit as C. rari- 

 flora, but is remarkably robust, some culms from Queen 

 Charlotte Islands measuring a height of 65 cm. The 

 number of pistillate spikes is mostly two, in nineteen 

 specimens out of twenty seven, all from Alaska and Queen 

 Charlotte Islands. It is remarkably constant wherever 

 it occurs, and the very local occurrence in contrast with its 

 near ally C. rariflora, not speaking of the total absence of 

 intermediate forms, seems to speak in favor of the opinion 

 of Fries that it is a species distinct from C. rariflora. 



C. Magellanica Lam. 



That C. paupercula Michx., and C. irrigua Sm. are 

 merely synonyms we have discussed in a previously pub- 

 lished paper 12 ; we have also called attention to the fact 

 that the lateral spikes are gynaecandrous, as mentioned 

 already by Schkuhr, Boott and nearly all other caricog- 

 raphers. The Scandinavian authors Anderson (1. c), 

 Hartman (1. c), Blytt, 13 and Hjelt 14 do also point out 

 that the terminal spike is not always purely staminate, but 

 frequently gynaecandrous. 



Besides by the distribution of the sexes the species dif- 

 fers from the others of this section by the more compact, 

 almost caespitose growth; by the leaves being broader; 

 the lowest bract reaching above the inflorescence ; by the 

 pistillate squamae being spreading at maturity, and lan- 

 ceolate, with a long point. Moreover the perigynia are 

 broadly oval, much snorter than the squamae, and faintly 

 nerved. 



"Types of Canadian Carices. (Canad. Field. Nat., vol. 33, p. 75, 1919.) 



13 Norges Flora, Christiania, 1861. 



14 Conspectus Flora? Fennicae. Helsingfors, 1895, p. 298. (Acta Soc. 

 Fauna et Flora Fennica, vol. 5.) 



