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Key to Carex, Key C: Subkey in Carex

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1 Perigynia surfaces and beak often pubescent, finely papillate  Key to Carex, [26bbb] Section 39 Acrocystis: section Acrocystis (Montanae)

1 Perigynia glabrous, papillate or not.

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  Key to Carex, [26z] Section 17b Bicolores: section Bicolores

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.

4 Pistillate scales (at least the lower) long-awned  Key to Carex, [26r] Section 13 Phacocystis: section Phacocystis (Cryptocarpae and Acutae)

4 Pistillate scales obtuse to acuminate or cuspidate.

5 Perigynia smooth; style persistent on the achene  Key to Carex, [26qq] Section 30 Vesicariae: section Vesicariae [including 52 - Pseudocypereae]

5 Perigynia often papillose over most of the surface; style deciduous  Key to Carex, [26r] Section 13 Phacocystis: section Phacocystis (Cryptocarpae and Acutae)

2 Lateral spikes sessile; bracts sheathless; peduncles without (or rarely with) a prophyll

6 Perigynia papillose (visible at 20× magnification).

Show caption*© Scott Ward              7 Terminal spike staminate, androgynous, or gynecandrous (if gynecandrous, the staminate flowers more numerous than the pistillate); lateral spikes at least 2× as long as wide  Key to Carex, [26r] Section 13 Phacocystis: section Phacocystis (Cryptocarpae and Acutae)

Show caption*© Scott Ward              7 Terminal spike staminate or gynecandrous (if gynecandrous, the pistillate flowers more numerous than the staminate); lateral spikes not much longer than wide  Key to Carex, [26m] Section 9 Glareosae: section Glareosae (Heleonastes)

6 Perigynia smooth.

8 Terminal spike gynecandrous; lateral spikes gynecandrous or pistillate.

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

13 Achenes rounded at apex (style dehiscing at the surface of the achene); style conspicuously enlarged at the base  Key to Carex, [26n] Section 10 Deweyanae: section Deweyanae

13 Achenes with short apiculus formed by the persistent base of the style; style not conspicuously enlarged at base  Key to Carex, [26q] Section 12 Ovales: section Ovales

12 Margins of perigynia rounded, or with flat portion < 0.1 mm wide.

14 Margins of perigynia rounded or with a very narrow rounded edge; achenes nearly filling the perigynium bodies  Key to Carex, [26m] Section 9 Glareosae: section Glareosae (Heleonastes)

14 Margins of perigynia sharply edged or narrowly winged; achenes distinctly smaller than the perigynium bodies.

15 Inflorescences in fruit 1-1.5× as long as wide  Key to Carex, [26q] Section 12 Ovales: section Ovales

15 Inflorescences in fruit 1.5-2 (or more)× as long as wide.

16 Lowermost perigynia in each spike spreading  Key to Carex, [26o] Section 11 Stellulatae: section Stellulatae

16 Lowermost perigynia in each spike ascending or erect.

17 Perigynium serrulate on the margins of the upper body and lower beak  Key to Carex, [26n] Section 10 Deweyanae: section Deweyanae

17 Perigynium entire on the margins of the upper body and the lower beak  Key to Carex, [26q] Section 12 Ovales: section Ovales

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 the base  Key to Carex, [26a] Section 1a Vulpinae: section Vulpinae

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  Key to Carex, [26c] Section 3 Multiflorae: section Multiflorae

11 Inflorescence unbranched or with 1 or 2 short branches at the base, with < 15 spikes; pistillate scales greenish hyaline, 1-veined  Key to Carex, [26d] Section 4.0 Phaestoglochin: section Phaestoglochin (Bracteosae)

9 Sheath fronts of lower cauline leaves smooth (or very weakly and indistinctly transversely rugose).

18 Fronts of leaf sheaths dotted red, brown, or yellow.

19 Perigynia widest near the base; culms usually > 1 mm wide  Key to Carex, [26a] Section 1a Vulpinae: section Vulpinae

19 Perigynia widest near the middle; culms usually < 1 mm wide.

20 Plants densely cespitose, with short rhizomes; pistillate scales acute to acuminate  Key to Carex, [26b] Section 2 Heleoglochin: section Heleoglochin (Paniculatae)

20 Plants loosely cespitose, sometimes with long rhizomes; pistillate scales (at least the upper) obtuse  Key to Carex, [26c] Section 3 Multiflorae: section Multiflorae

18 Fronts of leaf sheaths not dotted red, brown, or yellow.

21 Perigynium beak < 0.25 mm long, the margins entire  Key to Carex, [26e] Section 4.1 Dispermae: section Dispermae

21 Perigynium beak > 0.25 mm long, the margins often serrulate.

22 Upper leaves of culms with front of sheaths green-veined, not differentiated from the rest of the sheath  Key to Carex, [26h] Section 5 Holarrhenae: section Holarrhenae (Intermediae)

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 with flat, winglike margins > 0.1 mm wide; plants long-rhizomatous, not cespitose, sometimes forming large colonies  Key to Carex, [26j] Section 7 Ammoglochin: section Ammoglochin (Arenariae)

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.

24 Plants colonial from long rhizomes or stoloniferous (proliferating from last year’s decumbent sterile culms)

25 Plants long stoloniferous, proliferating from last year’s decumbent sterile culms  Key to Carex, [26f] Section 4.2 Chordorrhizae: section Chordorrhizae

25 Plants rhizomatous from creeping rhizomes 1.8-3.5 mm in diameter  Key to Carex, [26i] Section 6 Divisae: section Divisae

24 Plants cespitose.

Show caption*© Scott Ward                                                       26 Spikes not consistently androgynous, the terminal either entirely staminate or pistillate, the lateral spikes irregularly pistillate, or staminate, or mixed  Key to Carex, [26o] Section 11 Stellulatae: section Stellulatae

Show caption*© Scott Ward                                                       26 Spikes consistently androgynous, occasionally some of the lateral spikes entirely pistillate.

27 Perigynium widest near the base, tapering from base to beak  Key to Carex, [26a] Section 1a Vulpinae: section Vulpinae

27 Perigynium widest above the base, often abruptly beaked  Key to Carex, [26d] Section 4.0 Phaestoglochin: section Phaestoglochin (Bracteosae)