Holm, The genus Carex in North-West America. 
15 
of the grex in North America, wc might presume that this con- 
tinent, and quite especially the northwestern corner, constitiites a 
very important center as to the development and distribution of 
the Brachystachyae. 
Carices neiiroch laen ae. 
C. nardina from our region differs often from the typical plant 
by its more slender culm and spike, but it is mostly distigmatic; 
it will be remembered that the plant which we found in Colorado 
was tristigmatic, besides a number of examples received from the 
headwaters ot Fraser River in British Columbia. C. glareosa is 
quite variable, but we have not been able to detect any forms 
distinct from the European. In C. lagopina, on the other hand, 
the Spikes of the not'thwestern plant shows a tendency to become 
more slender and of a lighter color. The very robust C. Prihy- 
lovensis is a type of our region, but has not so far been properly 
described; the spikes are ovoid, densely crowded, and the peri- 
gynium is broadly elliptical to almost globose, many nerved and 
abruptly pointed into a very short beak, slit on the outer, convex 
face, ln C. lagopina and glareosa the width of the perigynium 
varies somewhat from oval to elliptic-lanceolate, but the beak is, 
as a rule, very distinct and slender. C. cryp)tantlia, another Alaskan 
type, is characteristic by the prominent development of the scales 
and the very small inflorescence in proportion to the long, very 
slender culms. A species typical of Yukon is C. neuroclüaena with 
filiform culms and prominently nerved perigynia. C. norvegica, 
the most evolute species of the grex, has also been found in Alaska, 
thus the dS eurochlaenae are well represented in our region, and 
more so than farther east. 
Ca rices astrosta cli y ae. 
Among these C. laevicuhnis is a very distinct type of our 
region, and it is not a rare plant; the other species with the only 
exception of C. stellulata are, on the other hand, rather rare. The 
grex appears to be much better represented nearer the Atlantic 
coast and in Europe. 
Ga r i ces acant h op hör ae. 
The grex shows decidedly a prevalent eastern distribution 
with such types as C. rosea, sparganioides, Muhlenbergii etc. being 
very abundant along the Atlantic coast. However, some other 
species seem to be characteristic of the Western States, of California 
and Colorado for instance, while again others appear to have deve- 
loped farther north, but on the Pacific slope only. Types of 
North-West America are, thus, C. occidentaJis, vagans and j^haeolepäs, 
besides the variety costata of C. vicaria. Of these the two former 
are near allies of C. Hooheriana, while C. phaeolepis is closely 
related to the Californian C. vitrea and chrysoleuca. These western 
members of the grex are, altogether, very distinct from the eastern, 
the Spikes of the former being either dark brown or whitish, those 
of the latter mostly light green. 
Carices xerochlaenae. 
Although both C. marcida and Douglasii are quite frequent 
within our region their very wide distribution towards South and 
