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

Cyperaceae

Carex

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(c) Marcum, Paul
1 Beak of the perigynium shorter than the body.
(c) Marcum, Paul
  2 Perigynia somewhat abruptly contracted into a beak ca. 0.5 × as long as the perigynium body; ventral surface of the perigynium with several incomplete veins basally; culms sharply triangular and narrowly winged, somewhat spongy and easily crushed; dorsal leaf sheaths green; ventral leaf sheaths with scattered red dots, and transversely rugose; [normally of shaded locations]
(c) Fleming, Gary P.
  2 Perigynia tapering into a beak, much shorter than the perigynium body; ventral surface of the perigynium with several inconspicuous complete veins; culms inconspicuously triangular to roundish, not winged, neither spongy nor easily crushed; dorsal leaf sheaths dark blue-green with conspicuous white dots; ventral leaf sheaths without scattered red dots, not transversely rugose; [normally of sunny locations]
(c) Ward, Scott G
1 Beak of the perigynium as long as, or longer than, the body.
(c) Pogacnik, Shaun - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
    3 Ventral leaf sheath margins with orange-red dots; achene ovate-lanceolate; perigynium wall adhering to achene
    3 Ventral leaf sheath margins without orange-red dots; achene broadly ovate to ovate-orbicular; perigynium wall not adhering to the achene (or only slightly so).
© Nathan Aaron
      4 Ventral leaf sheaths not transversely rugose, more or less concave at the apex and not prolonged upward past the base of the blade, thickened, not friable
(c) Steven, Daniel - C, permission granted to NCBG
      4 Ventral leaf sheaths transversely rugose, more or less convex at the apex and prolonged upward past the base of the blade, friable.
        5 Perigynia (5-) avg. 5.4 (-6) mm long, the beak > 3 mm long; inflorescences to 15 cm long; larger leaves mostly 8-17 mm wide, the blades glaucous; perigynium scales cuspidate to short-awned; [mostly of the Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont]
        5 Perigynia (4-) avg. 4.7 (-5) mm long, the beak < 2.5 mm long; inflorescences to 10 cm long; larger leaves mostly 4-10 mm wide, the blades green; perigynium scales acuminate to cuspidate; [widespread in our area]