2024 Edition • Donate • Get the App • Cite this Page
X

Colors

Data mode

Account

Login
Sign up

Support FSUS...

We've finished our 2024 fundraiser. Many thanks to those who have given! It's not too late to support us (click here)...

Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Key to Carex, [26rr] Section 31 Lupulinae: section Lupulinae

Copy permalink to share | Check for keys that lead to this key

1 Sheath of uppermost leaf absent or <1.5 (-2.5) cm long; beak of perigynia 1.5-4.2 mm long; achenes with elliptic or obovate sides.
  2 Perigynia rhombic-ovoid, cuneate to the base, 8-35 per spike, radiating in all directions and therefore forming a globular spike
  2 Perigynia lanceoloid to ovoid, convex to the base, 1-12 (-20) per spike, ascending to spreading (the lowest sometimes slightly reflexed) and therefore forming an ovoid to obovoid spike.
    3 Perigynia 3-5 mm wide at the widest point; achenes broadest above the middle, with a pronounced shoulder rounding abruptly to the tip; style of mature achene with a half to full coil in its lower portion; [of high elevations in our area, generally in spruce-fir or northern hardwoods forests]
    3 Perigynia 5-8 mm wide at the widest point; achenes broadest at the middle, smoothly rounded to the tip; style of mature achene straight or arcuate; [widespread in our area]
1 Sheath of uppermost leaf usually >1.7 cm long; beak of perigynia 4.5-10 mm long; achenes with rhombic or nearly triangular sides.
      4 Achenes distinctly wider than long, widest above the middle; perigynia stiffly spreading at right angles to the rachis
      4 Achenes as wide as long or longer, widest near the middle; perigynia ascending.
        5 Angles of the achenes pointed, often even knobbed, with nipple-like points; achenes (2.2-) 2.4-3.4 mm wide, often nearly as wide as long
        5 Angles of the achenes smoothly curved, not pointed or knobbed; achenes 1.7-2.6 (-2.8) mm wide, distinctly longer than wide.
          6 Staminate peduncle (3-) 6-18 cm long, usually exceeding the uppermost spike by 2-12 cm; plants loosely colonial by long slender rhizomes
          6 Staminate peduncle 0.5-6 (-7) cm long, shorter than to exceeding the uppermost pistillate spike by < 2 cm; plants solitary or loosely cespitose in small clumps connected by stout, short rhizomes