T. Holm — Studies in the Cyjperacece. 31 



than the utricle ; this organ is ovate, compressed trigonous, 

 granulated, two-nerved (the marginal), and abruptly terminated 

 by a short, emarginate to bidentate beak ; the color of the 

 utricle is light green, but changes often to brownish and purple- 

 spotted at maturity. A variety '-'- spadicea^^ with the scales 

 and utricles grayish-brown, is described by Beurling from the 

 mountains of Norway." 



Among the nearest allies of C. atrata in Europe may be 

 mentioned C. nigra All. and C. aterrima Hppe., both of which 

 seem contined to the Pyrenees, the " Alps " of Switzerland and 

 Austria. In the former of these the spikes are nearly sessile 

 and ovate, the utricle is reddish-brown, when young, becoming 

 dark purplish at maturity, and is prominently scabrous along 

 the upper margins ; while in C. atrata the granulation is only 

 represented by roundish projections ; C. aterrima^ which looks 

 more like C. atrata^ is quite robust, with the spikes oblong — 

 cylindrical, peduncled, and the utricle is merely granulated, 

 but purplish-black wath greenish base and margins. Of these 

 the former is by most authors considered distinct from C. 

 atrata^ while C. atervimo. is frequently enumerated as a mere 

 variety of this from higher elevations and wdth a later time of 

 flowering. But even if G. aterrima be a good species, C. 

 atrata does, nevertheless, occur in Europe, with narrow, 

 cylindrical spikes of variable color, from almost black to red- 

 dish-brown. This variation in color and shape of spikes may 

 sometimes be so pronounced that the European atrata seems 

 to pass over into the American G. ovata Rudge. 



As already stated, typical G. atrata occurs in this country, 

 but judging from the collections which we have studied, it 

 does not seem to be as frequent as the so-called G. ovata 

 Rudge. The principal characteristics of this plant are in accord- 

 ance with Eudge, the gynsecandrous spikes being ovate and 

 pendulous, the ovate, acute scales of a fuscous color. A num- 

 ber of Canadian specimens demonstrate a habit somewhat 

 different from that of G. atrata vera^ not only by the larger 

 and narrower spikes of a dark, reddish color, but also by the long 

 peduncles, which are very slender and prominently scabrous. 

 G. ovata is altogether a much more graceful plant than G. 

 atrata, and may, perhaps, represent a species distinct from G. 

 atrata. But G. ovata^ G. nigra and G. aterrima w-ere with 

 Boott only varieties of G. atrata L. 



In comparing these plants with our G. chalciolepis it is 

 readily seen that this is at once distinguished by its dense, 

 caespitose growth, the very slender, glabrous culms, which are 

 more or less reclining, and b}^ its usually sessile, contiguous, 



^Cariciim Scandinaviae conspectus. (Bot. Notiser 1853, p. 36.) 



