Carex sect. Scirpinae
red-brown at base.
basal sheaths fibrous or not, persistent sheaths usually absent;
sheath fronts membranous, puberulent;
blades V-shaped in cross section when young, glabrous or puberulent.
usually 1 spike, rarely short second spike;
bractless or bract filiform, sheathless, prophyllate;
spikes unisexual, mostly staminate and pistillate spikes on different plants.
erect, veinless or obscurely veined, with 2 prominent marginal veins, stipitate, lanceolate to ovate or obovate, rounded-trigonous in cross section, less than 10 mm, base tapering or rounded, apex tapering or rounded to beak, pubescent;
beak 0.1–0.5 mm, emarginate or shortly bidentate, teeth less than 0.8 mm.
usually trigonous, smaller than bodies of perigynia;
style deciduous.
pistillate scales with apex obtuse to acute, ciliate.
(2–)3(–4).
= 29, 31.
Carex sect. Scirpinae
Species 3 (3 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Culms 5–35(–40) cm; achenes tightly enveloped by perigynia, occupying full width and at least 3/4 length of perigynia; North America, Europe, Asia. | C. scirpoidea |
1. Culms (25–)35–91 cm; achenes loosely enveloped by perigynia, occupying 1/3–2/3 width and 1/3–3/4 length of perigynia; restricted to North America. | → 2 |
2. Perigynia tawny to red-brown, distal 3/4 hirsute; leaves sparsely pilose adaxially at 20X; n Arizona and s Utah. | C. curatorum |
2. Perigynia purple-black, distal 1/3 sparsely hairy; leaves glabrous adaxially; sw Oregon and nw California. | C. scabriuscula |
