Flora of North America species comparison

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Carex scoparia var. scoparia
Photo is of parent taxon

broom sedge, carex à balais, point broom sedge
Inflorescences

dense to open, 1.5–6 cm;

spikes densely aggregated to distant.
Perigynia

pale or golden-brown, similar in color to pistillate scales and beaks, lanceolate to elliptic, 4.2–6.8 × 1.2–2 mm, (2.5–)2.8–4 times as long as wide.
Pistillate

scales golden brown or pale, sometimes darkened when mature.
2n

= 56, 58, 60, 68.

Carex scoparia var. scoparia
Phenology Fruiting late spring–summer.
Habitat Wet to dry, open habitats, usually on acidic, often sandy soils
Elevation 0–2000 m (0–6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
Discussion

Some populations of Carex scoparia from the central and southern Appalachian Mountains have unusually long beaks (greater than 3.7 mm). When long beaks occur in more robust plants with large spikes and spreading perigynia, the plants look remarkably different from typical lowland or western populations.

Carex scoparia var. scoparia grows syntopically with other species from sect. Ovales and may form sterile hybrids. P. E. Rothrock et al. (1997) documented putative hybrids between C. scoparia and C. alata, C. hormathodes, C. straminea, and C. suberecta.

See note under 146. Carex longii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 23, p. 362.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Ovales > Carex scoparia
Sibling taxa
C. scoparia var. tessellata
Name authority unknown
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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