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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. IV, July, 1950 
2.4-4 mm. wide, 120-150 cm. long, stiff, 
erect, smooth on the lower angles, lightly 
scabrous above; leaves 13 mm. wide, 150- 
200 cm. long, 4-8 per culm, erect, pendent 
at the ends, coarse, dark green, smooth at the 
base, becoming scabrous along the edges and 
main vein toward the apex; sheaths closed by 
a striate membrane to 25 cm. above the base, 
splitting at maturity, tight, holding the base 
as a slender unit; inflorescence branching, 
15-20 cm. long, 5-8 mm. wide, 6-7 nodes 
per culm, one spike to a node, internodes 
2-3 cm. at the base, shortening to 1 cm. at 
the apex, each node subtended by a leafy 
bract 2-4 mm. wide, 3-30 cm. long; spikes 
androgynous except the terminal one which 
is staminate, 2-4 mm. wide, 8-15 cm. long, 
pendent, sparsely set with fruit, the apex of 
one perigynium scarcely reaching the base of 
the next above it, peduncles 1-3 cm. long, 
enclosed by a striate, purple, split ochrea 5-8 
mm. long; pistillate bract 1.5-2 mm. wide, 
4-5 mm. long, ovate, short-awned, awn and 
three central veins white to yellow, membra- 
nous wings of the bract black to purple-black, 
waxy, awn 1-2 mm. long, toothed, broad; 
staminate bracts 1 mm. wide, 6-8 mm. long, 
lanceolate, short-awned, the awn toothed; 
perigynia 1.5-2 mm. wide, 3. 5-6. 5 mm. 
long, ellipsoid or broadly ellipsoid to obovoid, 
abruptly narrowed to the short 3-5 mm. bi- 
dentate rostrum, the base broad-obtuse or 
even emarginate, highly polished, black, 
finely scrobiculate surface with three obscure 
ridge lines equally radiating from the rostrum 
disappearing toward the base, triagonal in 
cross section; achenes obovoid, yellow, mi- 
nutely rugose, triagonal in cross section, 
one side broader than the other two; style 
splitting into two stigmas 1 mm. above the 
rostrum, stigmas 1-2 mm. long, glandular, 
black. 
Distribution: Kauai only, high bogs in 
Zones C 2 and D of Ripperton and Hosaka 
(1942), over 3,000 feet, in extremely wet 
open forest areas. 
Type: Rock 9017, Kauluwehi Swamp, 
4200', Oct. 1909. 
Specimens examined 
kauai: Degener 2208, Waineke Swamp, 
Kokee, June 28, 1926, (NY); Forbes 419. K, 
Kaholuamano Swamp, Sept. 1909; Forbes 
A b c 
o 'A- cm. 
Fig. 20. Perigynia of Carex kauaiensis R. Krauss. 
a, Rock 9017; h, Forbes 419. K; c, Sk.ottsberg 902. 
883. K, Alakai Swamp, Waimea Drainage 
Basin, West Side, July 3 -Aug. 18, 1917; 
Forbes 883 IK, Waimea Drainage Basin, 
West Side, Alakai Swamp; Rock 9017 , Kau- 
luwehi Swamp, 4200', Oct. 1909; Skottsberg 
902, forest near Alakai Swamp, Oct. 27, 
1922, (GO); St. John 23047, Alakai Trail 
at BM 3698 3700', Dec. 25, 1947; St. John 
23040, Alakai Trail NE of second fork of 
Kawaikoi Stream, Dec. 25, 1947; St. John 
23041, Alakai Trail 3900', Dec. 25, 1947; 
St. John 22926, Ridge SW of Pihea, 4000', 
Dec. 22, 1947. 
Carex kauaiensis is a member of the sub- 
genus Eucarex, section Acutae, subsection 
Cryptocarpae. It appears to be a recent spe- 
cies evolved from the line leading to Carex 
alligata. It differs from this in the pro- 
nounced smooth, polished, non-stipitate peri- 
gynium, the long-awned bracts, and the tri- 
agonal achene as well as the long internodes 
between points of perigynial attachment on 
the rachis. 
