30 T. Holm — Studies in the Cyperacem. 



C. atrata L. from Long's Peak, and fig. 7 the ntricle and 

 scale of C. atrata from JSTorway. 



Having proposed C. chalciolejns as a species distinct from 

 Carex atrata L., and having studied a large collection of 

 representatives of the latter and its nearest allies in North 

 America, we feel induced to present some data concerning their 

 characteristics. 



As indicated in the synopsis of the species, C. atrata^ the 

 typical plant, occurs on some of the high mountains of Colorado, 

 but seems, however, to be rare. In speaking of the " tyjDical 

 plant" we might state at once, that this is very seldom recognized 

 in this country, and is exclnded altogether in Professor Macoun's 

 Catalogue of Canadian plants, where the variety " ovata " 

 (Kudge) Boott is the only one that is enumerated as occurring 

 between the Atlantic coast and the Pocky Mountains. A like 

 disposal is suggested in Gray's Manual (1890), where the variety 

 ovata is credited to the White Mountains, New Hampshire, Ver- 

 mont and northward, with no mention of the typical plant. It 

 is very likely that Pudge's C. ovata is the predominant form in 

 the northeastern parts of this continent, but it is not the only 

 one in the north, since the type has been collected in southern 

 Greenland, on mountains at "Kicking Horse Lake" and on 

 "Sheep Mountain" in the British provinces, besides in Wyo- 

 ming, Montana and Utah. — Linnaeus is the author of C. atrata^ 

 and he described it from Lapland specimens, the diagnosis, brief 

 as it may seem, being nevertheless sufficient for distinguishing 

 the species from the others in his Flora Lapponica : " Carex 

 spicis ad apicem culmi pendulis androgynis " ; by " androgynis " 

 is naturally meant *' gynsecandrous," since the spikes bear the 

 pistillate flowers at the apex, the staminate ones at the base. 

 But, strange to say, very few authors have since described the 

 species in the same way " spicis androgynis," while they have 

 referred the androgynous character only to the terminal spike, 

 and this deviation from the original diagnosis is noticeable in 

 the works of Wahlenberg, Andersson, Blytt, Hartman, Tre- 

 viranus and Koch ; on the other hand, Lightfoot, Schkuhr, 

 Knnth, Gaudin and Boott have described the species in accord- 

 ance with Linnaeus as possessing " several gynaecandrous 

 spikes." Otherwise the European authors seem to agree in 

 respect to the general characterization of the species, the shape 

 of the spikes, the scales, utricle, etc., and we might point out 

 some of these characteristics for further comparison with its 

 European and American allies. The spikes are mostly all 

 gyngecandrous, and the terminal is oval, the lateral more or 

 less oblong ; they are borne on rather stout peduncles, which are 

 almost glabrous ; the scales are ovate, acute to obtuse, blackish- 

 brown with very narrow, hyaline margins, and a little shorter 



