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Key to Carex

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1 Spike 1 per culm, all flowers attached to the main stem in a terminal spike
1 Spikes 2 or more per culm (some flowers in lateral spikes)
  2 All flowers staminate
  2 At least some flowers pistillate.
    3 Stigmas 2; achenes flat or biconvex in cross-section (lenticular)
    3 Stigmas (2-) 3 (-4); achenes trigonous or terete in cross-section.
      4 Body of perigynium glabrous or papillose (if papillose, the papillae shorter than wide).
        5 Bracts sheathless or with sheath < 4 mm long (rarely longer, and then the sheath shorter than the diameter of the stem)
        5 Bracts (at least the lower) with sheath > 4 mm long (and longer than the diameter of the stem)