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

Cyperaceae

Carex

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1
Leaf sheath fronts yellow, thickened, and not fragile at the top; leaf blades papillose adaxially (at 25× magnification)
 ⇒ Carex laevivaginata

© Nathan Aaron
1
Leaf sheath fronts green or whitish, thin, and fragile at the top; leaf blades not papillose adaxially.

(c) Pogacnik, Shaun - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
  2
Leaf sheath fronts smooth.

(c) Ward, Scott G
    3
Larger perigynia 6-8 mm long; leaves to 12 mm wide
 ⇒ Carex crus-corvi

(c) Ward, Scott G
    3
Larger perigynia 3-5 mm long; leaves to 7 mm wide.
      4
Perigynia smoothly rounded at base, not distended; perigynium veins 3-5 abaxially, 0 adaxially
 ⇒ Carex alopecoidea

(c) Pogacnik, Shaun - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
      4
Perigynia cordate at base, distended; perigynium veins 10-12 abaxially, 7 adaxially
 ⇒ Carex oklahomensis

(c) Fleming, Gary P.
  2
Leaf sheath fronts rugose.

(c) Steven, Daniel - C, permission granted to NCBG
(c) Marcum, Paul
    5
Perigynia broadly rounded at base, not distended; perigynium veins 3-5 abaxially, 0 adaxially
 ⇒ Carex conjuncta

(c) Marcum, Paul
    5
Perigynia cordate or truncate at base, distended; perigynium veins 15 abaxially, 7 adaxially.

(c) Zharkikh, Andrey - CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG
      6
Perigynia (5-) avg. 5.4 (-6) mm long, the beak > 3 mm 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]
 ⇒ Carex stipata var. maxima
      6
Perigynia (4-) avg. 4.7 (-5) mm long, the beak < 2.5 mm long; larger leaves mostly 4-10 mm wide, the blades green; perigynium scales acuminate to cuspidate; [widespread in our area]
 ⇒ Carex stipata var. stipata