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

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image of plant
Show caption*© Nathan Aaron
1 Leaf sheath fronts yellow, thickened, and not fragile at the top; leaf blades papillose adaxially (at 25× magnification)
image of plant
Show caption*© Shaun Pogacnik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shaun Pogacnik
1 Leaf sheath fronts green or whitish, thin, and fragile at the top; leaf blades not papillose adaxially.
image of plant
Show caption*© Scott Ward
  2 Leaf sheath fronts smooth.
image of plant
Show caption*© Scott Ward
    3 Larger perigynia 6-8 mm long; leaves to 12 mm wide
    3 Larger perigynia 3-5 mm long; leaves to 7 mm wide.
image of plant
Show caption*© Shaun Pogacnik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shaun Pogacnik
      4 Perigynia smoothly rounded at base, not distended; perigynium veins 3-5 abaxially, 0 adaxially
image of plant
Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
      4 Perigynia cordate at base, distended; perigynium veins 10-12 abaxially, 7 adaxially
image of plant
Show caption*© Paul Marcum
image of plant
Show caption*© Steven Daniel, all rights reserved, uploaded by Steven Daniel
  2 Leaf sheath fronts rugose.
image of plant
Show caption*© Paul Marcum
        5 Perigynia broadly rounded at base, not distended; perigynium veins 3-5 abaxially, 0 adaxially
image of plant
Show caption*© Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Andrey Zharkikh
        5 Perigynia cordate or truncate at base, distended; perigynium veins 15 abaxially, 7 adaxially.
          6 Perigynia (5-) avg. 5.4 (-6) mm long, the beak > 3 mm long; larger leaves mostly 8-17 mm wide; perigynium scales cuspidate to short-awned; [mostly of the Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont]
          6 Perigynia (4-) avg. 4.7 (-5) mm long, the beak < 2.5 mm long; larger leaves mostly 4-10 mm wide; perigynium scales acuminate to cuspidate; [widespread in our area]

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

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image of plant
Show caption*© Paul Marcum
1 Beak of the perigynium shorter than the body.
image of plant
Show caption*© Paul Marcum
  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]
image of plant
Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming
  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]
image of plant
Show caption*© Scott Ward
1 Beak of the perigynium as long as, or longer than, the body.
image of plant
Show caption*© Shaun Pogacnik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shaun Pogacnik
    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).
image of plant
Show caption*© 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
image of plant
Show caption*© Steven Daniel, all rights reserved, uploaded by Steven Daniel
      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; larger leaves mostly 8-17 mm wide; 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; larger leaves mostly 4-10 mm wide; perigynium scales acuminate to cuspidate; [widespread in our area]