Carex sect. Hallerianae
brown or red- or purple-brown at base, sometimes fibrous.
sheath fronts membranous;
blades V-shaped or M-shaped in cross section when young, proximal leaf blade usually with 2 lateral veins more prominent than midvein on adaxial side, papillose or hairy.
racemose, with 2–6 spikes;
proximal nonbasal bracts with well-developed blades, sheathless or sheath less than 5 mm;
lateral spikes pistillate, sometimes basal, pedunculate, prophyllate;
terminal spike staminate, rarely gynecandrous.
ascending, 12–30-veined with 2, strong marginal veins, stipitate, obovate or ovate, trigonous in cross section, less than 10 mm, base ± tapering, usually with spongy tissue, apex abruptly contracted or tapering to beak, hairy at least distally;
beak straight or bent, to 0.6 mm, emarginate.
trigonous, usually nearly as large as bodies of perigynia;
style deciduous.
pistillate scales hyaline, green, or brown, 3–7-veined, apex subobtuse to acuminate, sometimes awned.
3.
Carex sect. Hallerianae
Species 5 or more (4 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Perigynia 3–4.5 mm, proximal shorter than subtending scales; culms often with basal spikes. | → 2 |
1. Perigynia 4–6 mm, all exceeding subtending scales; culms without basal spikes. | → 3 |
2. Faces of perigynia with veins less than 0.1 mm wide, most distinctly narrower than marginal veins; perigynium beak straight or slightly bent; achenes obtuse to truncate at apex. | C. planostachys |
2. Faces of perigynia with most veins ca. 0.1 mm wide or wider, about as wide as marginal veins; perigynium beak mostly abruptly bent; achenes retuse at apex. | C. lativena |
3. Achenes 3–3.5 × 1.9–2 mm, almost filling bodies of perigynia; hairs on distal part of perigynium short, not exceeding 0.2 mm. | C. tenax |
3. Achenes 2.5–2.6 × 1.3–1.7 mm, filling only distal 1/2 of bodies of perigynia; hairs on distal part of perigynium long, many exceeding 0.3 mm. | C. dasycarpa |
