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

Cyperaceae

Carex

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1 Terminal spike staminate; lateral spikes staminate, androgynous, or pistillate; base of culms tan, brown, or ivory.
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 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 staminate, rarely gynecandrous.
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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.