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, [26d] Section 4.0 Phaestoglochin: section Phaestoglochin (Bracteosae)

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

1 Sheaths loose, membranaceous, and fragile on the ventral side, septate-nodulose and usually mottled or striped with green and white on the dorsal side; widest leaves 3-10 mm.
  2 Bodies of pistillate scales 1.5-2.5 mm long, 1.1-1.8 mm wide, mostly < ½ as long as the perigynia, apex obtuse to acuminate to shortly awned.
    3 Basal internodes of the inflorescence usually < 1 cm long, and usually < 2× as long as the spikes; bodies of perigynia with wing < 0.1 mm wide
    3 Basal internodes of the inflorescence usually >2 cm long, at least 2× as long as the spikes; bodies of perigynia with wing 0.1-0.2 mm wide
  2 Bodies of pistillate scales 2.2-4.4 mm long, 1.2-2.4 mm wide, mostly > ½ as long as the perigynia, apex acuminate to awned.
      4 Fronts of leaf sheaths yellow or brownish, thick, firm, the back often white-spotted
      4 Fronts of leaf sheaths white, hyaline, fragile, the backs not white-spotted.
1 Sheaths tight on the ventral side, neither septate-nodulose nor mottled with green and white on the dorsal side.
        5 Perigynia not conspicuously corky-thickened at base.
          6 Inflorescence ovoid in outline, the spikes densely aggregated, nearly indistinguishable except by the projecting setaceous bracts which subtend each spike.
             7 Perigynia 1.3-1.7× as long as wide, widest near the broadly rounded, truncate, or even subcordate base
             7 Perigynia 1.6-2.5× as long as wide, widest just below the middle, the base broadly cuneate to rounded.
               8 Pistillate scales (excluding the awns) shorter than the perigynium body; culms not greatly exceeding the leaves
               8 Pistillate scales (excluding the awns) as long as or exceeding the perigynium body; culms much exceeding the leaves
          6 Inflorescence spicate-racemose, the individual spikes readily distinguishable (often separated by an exposed internode of the axis).
                 9 Pistillate scales brown or reddish-purple; [exotic, sparsely naturalized in our area].
                 9 Pistillate scales green, hyaline, or pale tan; [native in our area (except C. austrina and C. muricata ssp. lamprocarpa), common and widespread in our area].
                   10 Spikes with 5-10 perigynia; pistillate scales brown with green-veined center
                   10 Spikes with 8-20 perigynia; pistillate scales scarious-white (rarely brown) with green-veined center.
                     11 Perigynia ascending, nerveless on the ventral surface; scales awned, the awns 1.5-4 mm long; lowest inflorescence bract elongate, the free portion 1-5 cm long
                     11 Perigynia spreading, either nerved or nerveless on the upper (ventral) surface; scales acuminate or with an awn to 1.5 (-2.0) mm long; lowest inflorescence bract short, delicate, the free portion 0.5-2 cm long.
                       12 Perigynia 3.5-4.0 mm long, nerved on both faces
        5 Perigynia corky-thickened in the lower 1/3 to 1/2 at maturity.
                          13 Basal scales and sheaths purplish-tinted; perigynia ascending to spreading at maturity; [rare exotic]
                          13 Basal scales and sheaths light tan or brown; perigynia spreading or reflexed at maturity; [native species].
                            14 Leaves 2.2-4.6 mm wide; perigynia 3.3-5.6 mm long, beaks (1-) 1.4-1.8 mm long
                            14 Leaves 0.5-3 mm wide; perigynia not > than 4.0 long, beaks 0.3-1.2 mm long.
                              15 Beak of perigynium serrulate; pistillate scales acuminate-awned; perigynia mostly > 20 per spike
                              15 Beak of perigynium smooth or serrulate; perigynia (2-) 3-12 (-20) per spike.
                                16 Beak of perigynium smooth; pistillate scales acuminate, early deciduous.
                                  17 Average perigynium width ≥ 1.3 mm; average spongy portion of the perigynium ≥ 1.1 mm long; perigynium base distinctly nerved, bulging on the ventral surface, making the perigynium biconvex in cross-section; perigynium 2-2.5× as long as wide; perigynium gradually narrowed to a short beak; leaves 1-3 mm wide
                                  17 Average perigynium width < 1.3 mm; average spongy portion of the perigynium < 1.1 mm long; perigynium base nerveless, flattened on the ventral surface, making the perigynium planoconvex in cross-section; perigynium ca. 3× as long as wide; perigynium narrowed to a conspicuous beak; leaves 0.75-1.5 mm wide
                                16 Beak of perigynium serrulate; pistillate scales obtuse, persistent.
                                    18 Plants with creeping rhizomes, the culms arising scattered along the rhizome; perigynia 4-5× as long as wide
                                    18 Plants densely cespitose, the culms arising from the center of clump; perigynia 2-3× as long as wide.
                                       19 Widest leaves 0.9-1.7 mm wide; base of fertile culm 0.7-1.4 mm wide.
                                         20 Base of perigynium cuneate to rounded; distance from base of perigynium to base of achene 0.1-0.5 mm; [primarily of the Mountains in our area on dry soils]
                                         20 Base of perigynium rounded to truncate; distance from base of perigynium to base of achene 0.5-0.9 mm; [widespread in our area, soils typically mesic to wet]
                                       19 Widest leaves 1.7-3.0 mm wide; base of fertile culm 1.4-2.2 mm wide.
                                           21 Stigmas 0.03-0.06 mm thick, straight to slightly twisted; widest leaves < 2.0 mm wide; perigynia 3-7 (-8) per spike
                                           21 Stigmas 0.07-0.10 mm thick, mostly coiled; widest leaves > 1.7 mm wide; perigynia (6-) 7-14 (-20) per spike