Flora of North America species comparison

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Carex aquatilis var. dives
Photo is of parent taxon

Sitka sedge, water sedge
Culms

35–150 cm, angles scabrous.
Leaves

basal sheaths leafless, usually red-brown;

blades epistomic, 5–18 mm wide, adaxially papillose.
Inflorescences

peduncle of proximal spike to 11 cm;

proximal bract longer than inflorescence, 3–10 mm wide.
Spikes

pendent or the terminal usually erect;

proximal 3–6 spikes pistillate, 4.5–11.5 cm × 4–7 mm, base attenuate;

terminal 2–4 spikes staminate.
Perigynia

pale brown, ellipsoid, 1.9–3.5 × 1–1.2 mm, apex acute or obtuse;

beak purple-brown, 0.3–0.4 mm, papery.
Pistillate

scales red-brown or purple-brown.
2n

= 72, 74, 78, 80.

Carex aquatilis var. dives
Phenology Fruiting Jul–Aug.
Habitat Marshes, shallow water along shores
Elevation 0–900 m (0–3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; MT; OR; WA; BC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Carex aquatilis var. dives is the most robust variety of C. aquatilis and the only member to have pendent spikes, ellipsoid perigynia, and epistomic leaves. Carex aquatilis var. dives intergrades with var. aquatilis and does not appear to be distinct at the specific level. It may hybridize with C. lyngbyei.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 23, p. 398.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Phacocystis > Carex aquatilis
Sibling taxa
C. aquatilis var. aquatilis, C. aquatilis var. minor, C. aquatilis var. substricta
Synonyms C. dives, C. howellii, C. panda, C. sitchensis
Name authority (Holm) Kükenthal: in H. G. A. Engler, Pflanzenr. 28[IV,20]: 311. (1909)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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