Flora of North America species comparison

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Carex scirpoidea subsp. scirpoidea

Carex scirpoidea subsp. stenochlaena
Photo is of parent taxon

carex faux-scirpe, northern single-spike sedge, single-spike sedge
Photo is of parent taxon

Alaska single-spike sedge, single-spike sedge
Habit Plants cespitose; rhizomes short. Plants cespitose; rhizomes inconspicuous.
Culms

erect, (5–)10–35(–40) cm mm, widest leaves of pistillate culm more than 1.5 mm wide.

lax, 24–34 cm.
Leaves

sheaths and bases from previous year’s leaves absent;

blades widely V-shaped in cross section, 31 cm × 2.5 mm.

sheaths and bases from previous year’s leaves absent;

blades widely V-shaped in cross section, to 28 cm × 2.5 mm.
Perigynia

ovate, (1.8–)2–2.5(–3) × 1–1.2(–1.5) mm, less than or equal to 2.5 times as long as wide, body tightly enveloping achenes for entire length and width.

lanceolate, (2.8–)3–4(–5) × 0.9–1.4(–1.6) mm, not more than 2.5 times as long as wide, body tightly enveloping proximal 3/4 of achene.
Achenes

1.5–1.8 × 0.8–1.2 mm.

1.2–2 × 0.8–1 mm.
Scales

ovate, 2.5 × 1.5 mm.

lanceolate, 3.5 × 1.5 mm.

Carex scirpoidea subsp. scirpoidea

Carex scirpoidea subsp. stenochlaena
Phenology Fruiting late May–Sep, depending on elevation. Fruiting late May–Sep.
Habitat In calcareous soils Weakly acidic soils
Elevation 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft) 1600–2600 m (5200–8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NH; NV; NY; OR; UT; VT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Greenland; Europe (Norway); e Asia (Russian Far East, Chukotka)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; MT; WA; BC; YT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Carex scirpoidea subsp. scirpoidea is the widest ranging of the subspecies and includes taxa formerly recognized by other caricologists. G. Kükenthal (1909) recognized C. scirpoidea var. europaea from a single locality in Norway. These plants are short in stature, like plants of C. scirpoidea subsp. scirpoidea from alpine habitats, and values for most morphologic characters fall within the normal range for subsp. scirpoidea. Another taxon, C. scirpiformis, was recognized by K. K. Mackenzie (1908) and treated at the varietal rank by H. O’Neill and M. Duman (1941) based on wide, hyaline pistillate scale margins and light-colored pubescence. Width of the hyaline portion of the scale margins and the color of pubescence are extremely variable characters in the group. F. J. Hermann (1957) recognized C. athabascensis as a separate species based on the overall robust habit and small, ovoid achenes. Achenes from the type specimens fall at the wide end of the range of variation of achene width in C. scirpoidea.

Carex scirpoidea subsp. scirpoidea is recognized by the lack of persistent leaf bases on the flowering shoots, ovate perigynia that are tightly enveloped by the perigynia on all sides, and leaves widely V-shaped in transverse section.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Carex scirpoidea subsp. stenochlaena is distinguished by lanceolate perigynia that are longer than 3 mm, tapering gradually to a beak, and over 2.5 times as long as wide. The pistillate spikes are clavate, loosely flowered at the base and borne on slender, lax culms (the spikes droop). The pistillate scales are longer than 3 mm and subtend hirsute perigynia.

Specimens of Carex scirpoidea subsp. stenochlaena from the Bitterroot Range in Ravalli County, Montana, best characterize the subspecies. Some specimens from Washington and northern British Columbia exhibit tendencies towards C. scirpoidea subsp. scirpoidea, in which perigynia are just 2.5 times as long as wide and spikes are less clavate, more loosely flowered.

Carex scirpoidea subsp. stenochlaena from British Columbia and Yukon have a tendency to intergrade with subsp. scirpoidea.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 23. FNA vol. 23, p. 552.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Scirpinae > Carex scirpoidea Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Scirpinae > Carex scirpoidea
Sibling taxa
C. scirpoidea subsp. convoluta, C. scirpoidea subsp. pseudoscirpoidea, C. scirpoidea subsp. stenochlaena
C. scirpoidea subsp. convoluta, C. scirpoidea subsp. pseudoscirpoidea, C. scirpoidea subsp. scirpoidea
Synonyms C. athabascensis, C. michauxii, C. scirpiformis, C. scirpina, C. scirpoidea var. europaea, C. scirpoidea var. scirpiformis, C. wormskioldiana C. scirpoidea var. stenochlaena, C. stenochlaena
Name authority unknown (Holm) Á. Löve & D. Löve: Taxon 13: 202. (1964)
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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