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Carex Linnaeus. Common name: Sedge.

Contributed by Derick B. Poindexter, Alan S. Weakley, and Bruce A. Sorrie

Key to Carex

A genus of about 2000 (or more) species, herbs, cosmopolitan, especially temperate and boreal.

Key advice:Features of the perigynium are critical for identification, notably details of the shape, ornamentation or vestiture, presence and size of beak, size and oreintation of teeth at the perigynium orifice, and number of striations (or veins).

Other Comments: Key to sections adapted closely from FNA23.

References: Aaron (2024); Ball & Reznicek (2002) In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002b); Bryson (1985); Bryson, Kral, & Manhart (1987); Catling, Reznicek, & Crins (1993); Derieg et al. (2013); Dorey (2019); Downer & Hyatt (2003); Dragon & Barrington (2009); Fernald (1942b); Frye & Lea (2002); Goetghebeur (1998) In Kubitzki (1998b); Kirschbaum (2007); Kral, Manhart, & Bryson (1987); LeBlond et al. (1994); Lovit (2024); Lovit & Haines (2012); Mackenzie (1931-1935); Maguilla et al. (2015); McKenzie & Nelson (2022); Medford, Poindexter, & Weakley (2021) In Weakley et al. (2021); Naczi (1993); Naczi & Ford (2001); Naczi, Bryson, & Cochrane (2002); Poindexter & Naczi (2014); Poindexter & Weakley (2018b) In Weakley et al. (2018a); Poindexter et al. (2024) In Weakley et al. (2024a); Rettig (1989a); Rink & Licher (2024); Rothrock, Reznicek, & Hipp (2009); Sorrie et al. (2011); Ungberg (2022) In Weakley et al. (2022); Uttal (1971); Ward (2012a); Ward (2021). Show full citations.

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Show species in Carex

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Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend. Data for arrows not developed for genera and families which may have species only occurring outside the flora area.

image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex pigra | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Carex festucacea | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex torta | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Carex hyalinolepis | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Carex fraseriana | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Carex aureolensis | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Paul Marcum | Carex bushii source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Carex gynandra | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex tonsa | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Carex atlantica | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Carex grayi | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Paul Marcum | Carex aggregata source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Kevin Krebs, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kevin Krebs | Carex macrocephala source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Steven Daniel, all rights reserved, uploaded by Steven Daniel | Carex atherodes source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Andrew Lane Gibson | Carex gigantea | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Andrew Lane Gibson | Carex gigantea | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Nathan Aaron | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex pauciflora | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex mitchelliana | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex tenax | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex canescens | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex collinsii | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex austrodeflexa | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Carex kobomugi | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Paul Marcum | Carex aureolensis source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex sprengelii | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex aurea | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Steven Daniel, all rights reserved, uploaded by Steven Daniel | Carex atherodes source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex austrocaroliniana | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex vexans | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex umbellata | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex hystericina | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Carex abscondita | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex sartwellii | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex backii | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex microdonta | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Carex fraseriana | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Paul Marcum | Carex conoidea source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware | Carex crawei CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Kristie Gianopulos | Carex atlantica | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Carex pellita | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman | Carex cephaloidea source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman | Carex complanata source | Original Image ⭷

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