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Key to Carex, Key A: Subkey in Carex

Cyperaceae

Carex

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1 Leaf blades 20-60 mm wide, without a midrib (with 40-100 parallel nerves all of equal prominence), leathery, the apex obtuse; leaf margin scarious, minutely crisped-ruffled (feeling scaberulous to the touch)
1 Leaf blades 0.5-25 (-52) mm wide, with a midrib, herbaceous, the apex acute; leaf margin various (smooth or scabrous, but not as described below).
  2 Spike entirely staminate.
    3 Culms distinctly red or purple at the base
    3 Culms yellow to brown or black, without red or purple coloration.
      4 Culms longer than the leaves; widest leaf blades < 2 mm wide
  2 Spike pistillate or with both pistillate and staminate flowers.
        5 Stigmas 2; achenes lenticular.
          6 Perigynia very obscurely or not at all serrulate, plump; plants slender rhizomatous
          6 Perigynia minutely but strongly and regularly serrulate on apical portion and beak, ± flattened; plants cespitose
        5 Stigmas 3; achenes trigonous.
             7 Perigynia pubescent near the tip
             7 Perigynia glabrous.
               8 Spikes gynecandrous; beak of perigynium with apical teeth > 0.3 mm long
               8 Spikes androgynous or entirely pistillate; beak of perigynium with apex entire, emarginate, or with teeth < 0.2 mm long.
                 9 Lower pistillate scales > 10 mm long
                 9 Lower pistillate scales < 10 mm long.
                   10 Perigynium beak > 2 mm long, as long as or longer than the perigynium body
                   10 Perigynium beak < 2 mm long, or if more, then tapering to the perigynium body and shorter than the body.
                     11 Perigynia > 4× as long as wide
                     11 Perigynia < 4× as long as wide.
                       12 Perigynia 1-3, each with 2 marginal veins only
                       12 Perigynia 2-13, each lightly many-veined on the body in addition to 2 marginal veins

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 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