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Key to Carex, Key C: Subkey in Carex

Cyperaceae

Carex

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  2 Lateral spikes usually pedunculate; lowermost inflorescence bracts sometimes with sheath; peduncles with prophyll at base.
    3 Terminal spike gynecandrous, pistillate flowers as many as or more numerous than staminate; lateral spikes short, not much longer than wide; fresh perigynia white-pulverulent
    3 Terminal spike usually staminate or, sometimes, gynecandrous, staminate flowers then more numerous than pistillate; lateral spikes oblong, distinctly longer than wide; fresh perigynia green or slightly glaucous.
© Melanie Flood
(c) Goldman, Douglas - CC-BY-SA
      4 Pistillate scales (at least the lower) long-awned
  2 Lateral spikes sessile; bracts sheathless; peduncles without (or rarely with) a prophyll
          6 Perigynia papillose (visible at 20× magnification).
                       12 Margins of perigynia flat, at least in the upper ½, flat portion (measured at the tip of the achene and base of beak) > (0.1-) 0.2 mm wider
                       12 Margins of perigynia rounded, or with flat portion < 0.1 mm wide.
                            14 Margins of perigynia sharply edged or narrowly winged; achenes distinctly smaller than the perigynium bodies.
(c) Ward, Scott G
               8 Terminal spike androgynous (rarely entirely staminate or entirely pistillate); lateral spikes androgynous, staminate, or pistillate.
                 9 Sheath fronts of lower cauline leaves transversely rugose.
                   10 Perigynia mostly < 2× as long as wide, widest near middle.
                     11 Inflorescence usually branched, at least at the base, usually with > 15 spikes; pistillate scales usually yellow or brown, sometimes with hyaline margins, 3-veined
                 9 Sheath fronts of lower cauline leaves smooth (or very weakly and indistinctly transversely rugose).
(c) Danielson, Erik
                                    18 Fronts of leaf sheaths dotted red, brown, or yellow.
                                             22 Upper leaves of culms with front of sheaths with at least a narrow hyaline or whitish-hyaline band extending at least ½ the length of the sheath.
                                               23 Perigynia without a flat margin, or with a flat margin < 0.1 mm wide; plants short-rhizomatous or inconspicuously rhizomatous, cespitose or not, sometimes forming large colonies.
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Key to Carex, Key D: Subkey in Carex

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1 Pistillate spikes all or in part borne on the elongate, aboveground stem.
  2 Bracts of the lowermost non-basal spike with well-developed sheath > 4 mm long.
    3 Beak of perigynium entire, notched, or with indistinct teeth < 0.6 mm long.
      4 Bracts of the lowermost non-basal spike bladeless, or with a blade < 2 mm long.
      4 Bracts of the lowermost non-basal spike with blade > 3 mm long (and often much longer).
          6 Achene tip with at most a short apiculus.
             7 Leaves usually glabrous, to scabrous on the veins.
               8 Bases of plants distinctly red or purple.
(c) Ward, Scott G - CC-BY
  2 Bracts of the lowermost non-basal spike sheathless or with sheath < 4 mm long.
(c) Smith, Jake - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
                          13 Terminal spike gynecandrous or pistillate
(c) Ward, Scott G
(c) Goldman, Douglas - CC-BY-SA
                          13 Terminal spike staminate (or rarely androgynous).
                                    18 Perigynia > 3.5 mm long, the tip tapering or abruptly beaked.
                                                      26 Leaf blades, at least toward the tip, M-shaped in cross-section when young, the upper surface usually with 2 marginal veins more prominent than the midvein; staminate spikes 1-4
                                                      26 Leaf blades V-shaped in cross-section when young, the upper surface lacking 2 marginal veins more prominent than the midrib; staminate spike 1
                                                          28 Plants with at least some pistillate spikes basal; culms much shorter than the leaves
                                                            29 Upper leaves with blades > 2 cm long, longer than the sheaths
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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 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 spikes usually 1-3+; perigynia 6-15 (-22)-veined, each 4-10 (-12.5) mm.
      4 Pistillate scales, at least some, with a scabrous awn.
                   10 Upper pistillate scales acute to short-awned, awn < ½ as long as the body.
                          13 Perigynium veined to tip of body and often into beak; widest leaves mostly > 4 mm wide.
1 Apex of perigynium beak entire, emarginate, or with 2 teeth < 0.5 mm long.
                                       19 Roots brown or black, without yellow-brown felty covering, rarely with white felty covering.
(c) Wrens, Sequoia Janirella - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
                                                 24 Perigynia with distinct beak 0.5-4 mm long.
                                                      26 Adaxial side of leaves with 2 marginal veins more prominent than midvein; young leaves M-shaped in cross section.
                                                      26 Adaxial side of leaves without 2 marginal veins more prominent than midvein; young leaves V-shaped or rounded in cross section.