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Key to Carex, [26ff] Section 23 Hymenochlaenae: section Hymenochlaenae -- Key to Groups

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1 Terminal spike staminate; lateral spikes staminate, androgynous, or pistillate; base of culms tan, brown, or ivory.
..2 Plants without rhizomes or with very short ones, densely cespitose
..2 Plants with short-creeping rhizomes, loosely cespitose or colonial
1 Terminal spike staminate or gynecandrous; lateral spikes pistillate, gynecandrous or rarely distal spike staminate; base of culms usually covered with dark maroon bladeless sheaths (often missing or very short in C. prasina).
....3 Perigynia 2-ribbed but otherwise veinless or nearly so, green to yellow at maturity
....3 Perigynia 2-ribbed and veined between ribs, often conspicuously so, green to olive-green at maturity, usually red dotted.
......4 Perigynia fusiform to narrowly lance-ovoid, > 5 mm long, including the elongate beak; leaves generally < 5 mm wide; leaf sheaths usually glabrous, at least on back
......4 Perigynia ovoid-oblong to lance-ovoid, 2-6 mm (mostly < 5 mm long) tapering to a beak shorter than the body or beakless; leaves 2.5-12 mm wide; leaf sheaths glabrous or pubescent.
........5 Terminal spike usually gynecandrous, rarely staminate
........5 Terminal spike usually staminate, rarely gynecandrous.
..........6 Lateral pistillate spikes erect at maturity, narrowly oblong to cylindric, to 25 × 2.5-9 mm, on stiff peduncles
..........6 Lateral pistillate spikes drooping at maturity, short cylindric to linear, 8-80 × 3-5 mm, on slender arching peduncles

Key to Carex, Key E: Subkey in Carex

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1 Apex of perigynium beak with 2 teeth at least (0.4-) 0.5 mm long.
..2 Perigynia with 2 distinct marginal veins, otherwise veinless or only very faintly veined; leaves not septate-nodulose
..2 Perigynia with 5+ distinct veins; at least proximal leaves septate-nodulose, rarely not.
....3 Perigynia with serrulate wing on margins; spikes usually 20+, sessile, pistillate or androgynous and similar in appearance, forming a dense, ovoid or oblong head, rarely with proximal spike separated
....3 Perigynia without wing on margins; spikes not more than 10, usually at least proximal shortly pedunculate, sometimes subsessile, distal and proximal spikes usually dissimilar in appearance, usually not crowded into a dense head.
......4 Pistillate scales obtuse to acuminate, awnless or at most with a rough apiculus.
........5 Staminate spike usually 1; perigynia 15-20-veined, each 10-20 mm long
........5 Staminate spikes usually 1-3+; perigynia 6-15 (-22)-veined, each 4-10 (-12.5) mm.
..........6 Perigynia 6-14 (-15)-veined
..........6 Perigynia 14-25-veined
............ 7 Perigynia narrowly ovate to subglobose, 2-2.5× as long as wide
............ 7 Perigynia elliptic to ovate, 3-4.5× as long as wide
......4 Pistillate scales, at least some, with a scabrous awn.
............ ..8 Perigynia (9-) 10+ mm long.
............ ....9 Pistillate spikes cylindric, much longer than wide; staminate spikes (1-) 2-6
............ ....9 Pistillate spikes globose, ovoid, or cylindric, about as long as wide; staminate spikes usually 1
............ ..8 Perigynia < 9 mm long.
............ ......10 Upper pistillate scales with awn > ½ as long as the body
............ ......10 Upper pistillate scales acute to short-awned, awn < ½ as long as the body.
............ ........11 Beak of perigynia with teeth 1.1-3 mm long
............ ........11 Beak of perigynia with teeth often < 1 mm long.
............ ..........12 Staminate spikes 1 (-4); perigynium beak > 1.7 mm long
............ ..........12 Staminate spikes 1-6; perigynium beak often < 1.7 mm long.
............ ............ 13 Perigynia veined only at base; widest leaves < 4 mm wide
............ ............ 13 Perigynium veined to tip of body and often into beak; widest leaves mostly > 4 mm wide.
............ ............ ..14 Pistillate scales with margins serrulate distally; awn, when present, rough.
............ ............ ....15 Perigynia 3.1-4.8 × 0.9-1.5 (-1.8) mm; staminate spikes 1-2
............ ............ ....15 Perigynia 2.5-8 × 1.2-3.5 mm; staminate spikes usually 3-7
............ ............ ..14 Pistillate scales with margins entire; awn, when present, usually smooth.
............ ............ ......16 Perigynia 9-15-veined
............ ............ ......16 Perigynia 14-25-veined.
............ ............ ........17 Perigynia narrowly ovate to subglobose, 2-2.5× as long as wide
............ ............ ........17 Perigynia elliptic to ovate, 3-4.5× as long as wide
1 Apex of perigynium beak entire, emarginate, or with 2 teeth < 0.5 mm long.
............ ............ ..........18 Perigynia minutely papillose, at least distally (at 20× magnification).
............ ............ ............ 19 Some roots with yellow-brown felty covering
............ ............ ............ 19 Roots brown or black, without yellow-brown felty covering, rarely with white felty covering.
............ ............ ............ ..20 Leaf blades and/or sheaths pubescent, at least at junction of blade and sheath
............ ............ ............ ..20 Leaf blades and sheaths glabrous.
............ ............ ............ ....21 Terminal spike gynecandrous
............ ............ ............ ....21 Terminal spike staminate or androgynous.
............ ............ ............ ......22 Pistillate scales obtuse to acuminate or with awn < 1 mm long; staminate scales not awned
............ ............ ............ ......22 Lower pistillate scales with awn 1.2-3.5 mm long; staminate scales awned
............ ............ ..........18 Perigynia not papillose, essentially smooth.
............ ............ ............ ........23 Terminal spike gynecandrous.
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Perigynia with distinct beak 0.5-4 mm long.
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Larger spikes usually with > 50 perigynia; achenes 2-3 mm long
............ ............ ............ ............ 25 Larger spikes with < 40 perigynia; achenes 1-2 mm long
............ ............ ............ ..........24 Perigynia beakless or with beak < 0.5 mm long.
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Adaxial side of leaves with 2 marginal veins more prominent than midvein; young leaves M-shaped in cross section.
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Perigynia ovoid, usually > 1.5× as long as wide; apex tapered to beak; sheaths of proximal leaves not septate-nodulose
............ ............ ............ ............ ....27 Perigynia subcircular, < 1.2× as long as wide; apex rounded, abruptly beaked; sheaths of proximal leaves septate-nodulose
............ ............ ............ ............ ..26 Adaxial side of leaves without 2 marginal veins more prominent than midvein; young leaves V-shaped or rounded in cross section.
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaf blades and/or sheaths pubescent, at least at junction of blade and sheath
............ ............ ............ ............ ......28 Leaf blades and sheaths glabrous.
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Perigynia erect or ascending
............ ............ ............ ............ ........29 Perigynia ascending, spreading at about right angles, or reflexed when mature
............ ............ ............ ........23 Terminal spike staminate or androgynous.
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Leaves and/or sheaths pubescent, at least at junction of blade and sheath.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Larger leaves 8-23 mm wide, only the sheaths pubescent
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 31 Leaves < 8 mm wide, blades and usually also the sheaths pubescent.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Perigynium beak 0.5-3 mm long, often > 1 mm long, about 1/2 the length of the body; proximal pistillate scales awned
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..32 Perigynium beak absent or not more than 0.5 (-0.7) mm long, not > 1/4 the length of the body; proximal pistillate scales acute, acuminate or cuspidate.
............ ............ ............ ............ ..........30 Leaves and sheaths usually glabrous, rarely papillose.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Style persistent on achene in fruit; larger leaves and sheaths usually at least sparsely septate-nodulose, rarely not.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Perigynia (9-) 10+ mm long; staminate spike usually 1
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......34 Perigynia < 10 mm long; staminate spikes 1-5 (-7).
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Pistillate scales with margins serrulate distally, apex usually rough-awned.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Distal pistillate scales with apex acute to short-awned, awn < 1/2 as long as the body
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........36 Distal pistillate scales with apex long-awned, awn > 1/2 as long as the body
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........35 Pistillate scales with margins entire, apex awnless or with short, smooth awn.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Perigynia not inflated, thick walled, brownish, dull
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 37 Perigynia slightly to strongly inflated, thin walled, yellowish to purplish, shiny
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....33 Style deciduous; larger leaves and sheaths sometimes septate-nodulose, more often not.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Leaf blades, at least widest, M-shaped in cross section when young, adaxial surface with 2 marginal veins more prominent than midvein.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Widest leaf blades 8-23 mm wide, septate-nodulose
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ....39 Widest leaf blades < 6 mm wide, not septate-nodulose.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Pistillate scales awned, longest awn > 0.5 mm long
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......40 Pistillate scales obtuse to acuminate or short-awned, awn < 0.2 mm long
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..38 Leaf blades V-shaped in cross section when young, adaxial surface without 2 marginal veins more prominent than midvein.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Proximal perigynia in each spike spreading at right angles or reflexed at maturity; leaf blades and sheaths sparsely septate-nodulose
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ........41 Proximal perigynia in each spike ascending or spreading-ascending; leaf blades and sheaths not septate-nodulose.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Plant base brown or blackish, without trace of red or purple
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ..........42 Plant base red or purple tinged, sometimes only sparsely so.
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Perigynia distinctly veined on faces; pistillate scales brown or black
............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ 43 Perigynia veinless or with veins only proximally; pistillate scales white-hyaline or red-brown
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