- 3 6- 



not recurved except occasionally at the very tips. In und rained 

 black soil in shady woods; the most perfectly developed form and 

 one of the most beautiful plants we have. In striking contrast to 

 the last form. 



5. Pyramidale Milde. Stem pyramidal, branched from base; 

 lowest branches longest, often 6-angled, and with well-defined 

 central cavity, the upper successively shorter to the top. In cul- 

 tivated fields and hard soil, always in sun. Rare. I have met 

 with this but once. 



6. Pauciramosum Milde. Stem erect, naked below, nearly 

 smooth, branches sub-simple. Described from specimens from 

 Labrador. I have seen but one specimen of this, in deep, wet 

 woods, Kensington, N. H. It resembles a branch of the ordinary 

 form, but is larger, 7-12 inches tall, and 6-S angled. It is proba 

 bly caused by a cold, wet soil. 



7. Squarrosum A. A. E. * Fruit sessile or nearly so, persist- 

 ent; sterile stem lanceolate in outline, erect at tip, often bearing 

 an abortive spikelet; branches decreasing from center both ways, 

 horizontal or becoming erect, ultimate branches often torulose, the 

 teeth squarrosely spreading or reflexed. Among alders and in 

 willows 16 miles west of Nome City, Alaska, Aug. 5, 1900, J. B. 

 Flett, No. 1,524. The torulose branches, erect persistent spike 

 and squarrose teeth give this a peculiar appearance. The outline 

 of the sterile stem is also characteristic; its chief peculiarity, 

 however, lies in the proneness of the sterile stems to end in a 

 green abortive spikelet. This form corresponds to var. serot/num, 

 but in that the spike is normal, though small, and is fleshy and 

 sporiferous. 



MONSTROSITIES. 



This species with us appears to produce few monstrosities. 

 They appear to occur oftener in Europe. Milde describes a var. 

 poly st achy a in two forms, one being the ordinary fertile stem with 

 seven spikes situated in the upper sheaths ; the other form was 

 sterile with 28 spikelets on the tips of the branches. He had seen 

 but one of each. He also mentions and elsewhere figures a var. 

 bi-multiceps, with spikes forked and digitate; a var. f urcatutn , 

 with both kinds of stems forked; and a var. proliferum % with 

 spike terminated by a sterile branch. I have seen none of these 

 except one sterile stem of the second, but mention them as they 

 are liable to be found at any time. Another form, not dignified 

 with a name, bears branches directly under the spike and may 



