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carex tordu, twisted sedge

Shinner's sedge

Habit Plants cespitose. Plants densely cespitose, to 200 culms together; rhizomes appearing elongate in old clumps.
Culms

angled, 25–75 cm, glabrous.

40–110 cm;

vegetative culms inconspicuous with 9–17 leaves mostly clustered near apex of culm.

Leaves

basal sheaths red-brown;

sheaths of proximal leaves glabrous, fronts lacking spots and veins, entire, apex truncate;

blades 3–5 mm wide.

sheaths abaxially green or with pale intervenal areas with scattered, horizontal green septa, adaxially hyaline band broad, smooth, summit concave to truncate, equaling to extending 2 mm beyond collar;

ligules 1.8–4.8 mm;

blades 4–6 per fertile culm, 2.5–35 cm × 1.8–4.2 mm.

Inflorescences

proximal bract subequal to inflorescence, 1–3 mm wide.

erect to slightly arching, compact to elongated, pale brown, 2.8–5.9 cm × 6–17 mm;

proximal internode 3.5–12(–17) mm; 2d internode 3–9(–13) mm;

proximal bracts scalelike, often with bristle tips shorter than inflorescences.

Spikes

erect or the proximal pendent;

proximal 3–4 spikes pistillate, usually sessile, 2.5–9 cm × 4–5 mm, base attenuate;

terminal 1–2 spikes staminate.

(3–)4–7(–11), distinct, ovoid, 9.5–20.5 × 6–9 mm, base rounded to tapered, apex rounded.

Perigynia

divergent, green, veinless, somewhat flattened, tightly enclosing and distended by the achenes, ovoid, 2.3–4.7 × 1.1–1.8 mm, dull, apex acute, glabrous;

beak green, often twisted, 0.1–0.3 mm, orifice oblique.

15–80 on larger spikes, ascending, yellowish green to brown with paler margins, conspicuously 7–11-veined abaxially, faintly (0–)2–8-veined adaxially, wings with 1–4 veins, ovate, elliptic, or ± orbiculate, plano-convex, (4.5–)4.8–6.1(–6.3) × 2.5–3.8 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick, herbaceous, opaque with achene not clearly visible through adaxial face of perigynium, base rounded, margin flat, including wing 0.5–1.3 mm, smooth;

beak yellowish green to pale brown, strongly flattened, (1.2–)1.5–2.1(–2.3) mm, serrulate-margined to apex, abaxial suture pale or copper-brown, distance from beak tip to achene (2–)2.3–3.3 mm.

Achenes

not constricted, dull.

ovate to elliptic, 1.8–2.4 × 1.3–1.7 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick, apiculum to 0.4–0.9 mm.

Pistillate

scales purple-brown to black, shorter than perigynia, apex acute, awnless.

scales pale brown with narrow yellow-green to brown midstripe prominent to tip, lanceolate, (3.7–)4–5.2 mm, (2.6–)2.9–3.7(–4.2) times as long as wide, reaching base to middle of perigynium beak, shorter than perigynia by (0.4–)0.6–1.4(–1.6) mm, margin hyaline, apex firm and herbaceous, flat or inrolled, with subulate tip or awned.

Staminate

scales acuminate.

Anthers

(1.8–)2.2–3.6 mm.

2n

= 66.

= 60.

Carex torta

Carex shinnersii

Phenology Fruiting Jun. Fruiting early summer.
Habitat Rocky streambeds, banks Seasonally wet to dry, grassy ditches, swales, and slopes, often in clayey soils
Elevation 0–1500 m N.B., N.S., Ont., Que. (0–4900 ft N.B., N.S., Ont., Que.) 100–300 m (300–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; CT; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; KS; OK; TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A very common riverine species of eastern North America, Carex torta has an almost identical habit and habitat to the western C. nudata. Carex torta is, however, not a member of the C. stricta subgroup and has unusual green, glabrous perigynia that taper into a triangular, twisted beak with an obliquely bidentate orifice. Carex torta appears to be somewhat transitional to the Cryptocarpae group, based on the pendent spikes, sheath morphology, and large achenes.

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

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 396. FNA vol. 23, p. 376.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Phacocystis Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Ovales
Sibling taxa
C. aboriginum, C. abrupta, C. abscondita, C. acidicola, C. acutiformis, C. adelostoma, C. adusta, C. aestivalis, C. aggregata, C. alata, C. albicans, C. albida, C. albolutescens, C. albonigra, C. albursina, C. alma, C. alopecoidea, C. amphibola, C. amplectens, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. annectens, C. anthoxanthea, C. aperta, C. appalachica, C. aquatilis, C. arapahoensis, C. arcta, C. arctata, C. arctiformis, C. arenaria, C. argyrantha, C. arkansana, C. assiniboinensis, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atlantica, C. atrata, C. atratiformis, C. atrofusca, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. aureolensis, C. austrina, C. austrocaroliniana, C. backii, C. baileyi, C. baltzellii, C. barbarae, C. barrattii, C. basiantha, C. bebbii, C. bella, C. bicknellii, C. bicolor, C. bigelowii, C. biltmoreana, C. blanda, C. bolanderi, C. bonanzensis, C. brainerdii, C. brevicaulis, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. bromoides, C. brunnescens, C. brysonii, C. bulbostylis, C. bullata, C. bushii, C. buxbaumii, C. calcifugens, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. careyana, C. caroliniana, C. caryophyllea, C. castanea, C. cephaloidea, C. cephalophora, C. chalciolepis, C. chapmanii, C. cherokeensis, C. chihuahuensis, C. chordorrhiza, C. circinata, C. collinsii, C. communis, C. comosa, C. complanata, C. concinna, C. concinnoides, C. congdonii, C. conjuncta, C. conoidea, C. constanceana, C. cordillerana, C. corrugata, C. crawei, C. crawfordii, C. crebriflora, C. crinita, C. cristatella, C. crus-corvi, C. cryptolepis, C. cumberlandensis, C. cumulata, C. curatorum, C. cusickii, C. dasycarpa, C. davisii, C. davyi, C. debilis, C. decomposita, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. deweyana, C. diandra, C. digitalis, C. diluta, C. disperma, C. distans, C. disticha, C. divisa, C. divulsa, C. douglasii, C. duriuscula, C. ebenea, C. eburnea, C. echinata, C. edwardsiana, C. egglestonii, C. eleusinoides, C. elliottii, C. elynoides, C. emoryi, C. endlichii, C. engelmannii, C. epapillosa, C. exilis, C. exsiccata, C. extensa, C. festucacea, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. fissa, C. fissuricola, C. flacca, C. flaccosperma, C. flava, C. floridana, C. foenea, C. folliculata, C. formosa, C. fracta, C. frankii, C. fuliginosa, C. garberi, C. geophila, C. geyeri, C. gholsonii, C. gigantea, C. glacialis, C. glareosa, C. glaucescens, C. glaucodea, C. globosa, C. gmelinii, C. godfreyi, C. gracilescens, C. gracilior, C. gracillima, C. granularis, C. gravida, C. grayi, C. grisea, C. gynandra, C. gynocrates, C. gynodynama, C. halliana, C. hallii, C. harfordii, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. haydenii, C. heleonastes, C. helleri, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. heterostachya, C. hirsutella, C. hirta, C. hirtifolia, C. hirtissima, C. hitchcockiana, C. holostoma, C. hoodii, C. hookeriana, C. hormathodes, C. hostiana, C. houghtoniana, C. hyalina, C. hyalinolepis, C. hystericina, C. idahoa, C. illota, C. impressinervia, C. incurviformis, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. intumescens, C. jamesii, C. jonesii, C. joorii, C. juniperorum, C. kobomugi, C. kraliana, C. krausei, C. lachenalii, C. lacustris, C. laeviconica, C. laeviculmis, C. laevivaginata, C. lapponica, C. lasiocarpa, C. latebracteata, C. lativena, C. laxa, C. laxiculmis, C. laxiflora, C. leavenworthii, C. lemmonii, C. lenticularis, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptonervia, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. loliacea, C. lonchocarpa, C. longii, C. louisianica, C. lucorum, C. lupuliformis, C. lupulina, C. lurida, C. lutea, C. luzulifolia, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. mackenziei, C. macloviana, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. magellanica, C. manhartii, C. marina, C. mariposana, C. maritima, C. mckittrickensis, C. meadii, C. media, C. melanostachya, C. membranacea, C. mendocinensis, C. merritt-fernaldii, C. mertensii, C. mesochorea, C. michauxiana, C. microchaeta, C. microdonta, C. microglochin, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. misera, C. missouriensis, C. mitchelliana, C. molesta, C. molestiformis, C. muehlenbergii, C. multicaulis, C. multicostata, C. muricata, C. muriculata, C. muskingumensis, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. nelsonii, C. nervina, C. neurophora, C. nigra, C. nigricans, C. nigromarginata, C. normalis, C. norvegica, C. nova, C. novae-angliae, C. nudata, C. obispoensis, C. obnupta, C. obtusata, C. occidentalis, C. oklahomensis, C. oligocarpa, C. oligosperma, C. opaca, C. oreocharis, C. ormostachya, C. oronensis, C. ouachitana, C. ovalis, C. oxylepis, C. ozarkana, C. pachystachya, C. paeninsulae, C. paleacea, C. pallescens, C. panicea, C. pansa, C. parallela, C. parryana, C. pauciflora, C. paysonis, C. peckii, C. pedunculata, C. pellita, C. pelocarpa, C. pendula, C. pensylvanica, C. perdentata, C. perglobosa, C. petasata, C. petricosa, C. phaeocephala, C. picta, C. pigra, C. pityophila, C. planispicata, C. planostachys, C. plantaginea, C. platyphylla, C. pluriflora, C. podocarpa, C. polymorpha, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. prairea, C. prasina, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. projecta, C. proposita, C. pseudocyperus, C. pumila, C. purpurifera, C. radfordii, C. radiata, C. ramenskii, C. rariflora, C. raynoldsii, C. recta, C. reniformis, C. retroflexa, C. retrorsa, C. richardsonii, C. roanensis, C. rosea, C. rossii, C. rostrata, C. rotundata, C. rufina, C. rupestris, C. ruthii, C. sabulosa, C. salina, C. sartwelliana, C. sartwellii, C. saxatilis, C. saximontana, C. scabrata, C. scabriuscula, C. schottii, C. schweinitzii, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. senta, C. seorsa, C. serpenticola, C. serratodens, C. sheldonii, C. shinnersii, C. shortiana, C. siccata, C. silicea, C. simulata, C. socialis, C. sparganioides, C. specifica, C. spectabilis, C. specuicola, C. spicata, C. spissa, C. sprengelii, C. squarrosa, C. stenoptila, C. sterilis, C. stevenii, C. stipata, C. straminea, C. straminiformis, C. striata, C. striatula, C. stricta, C. styloflexa, C. stylosa, C. subbracteata, C. suberecta, C. subfusca, C. subnigricans, C. subspathacea, C. superata, C. supina, C. swanii, C. sychnocephala, C. sylvatica, C. tahoensis, C. tenax, C. tenera, C. tenuiflora, C. tetanica, C. tetrastachya, C. texensis, C. thornei, C. thurberi, C. timida, C. tincta, C. tompkinsii, C. tonsa, C. torreyi, C. triangularis, C. tribuloides, C. trichocarpa, C. triquetra, C. trisperma, C. tuckermanii, C. tumulicola, C. turbinata, C. turgescens, C. typhina, C. umbellata, C. unilateralis, C. ursina, C. utriculata, C. vacillans, C. vaginata, C. vallicola, C. venusta, C. vernacula, C. verrucosa, C. vesicaria, C. vestita, C. vexans, C. virescens, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. whitneyi, C. wiegandii, C. willdenowii, C. williamsii, C. woodii, C. wootonii, C. xerantica
C. aboriginum, C. abrupta, C. abscondita, C. acidicola, C. acutiformis, C. adelostoma, C. adusta, C. aestivalis, C. aggregata, C. alata, C. albicans, C. albida, C. albolutescens, C. albonigra, C. albursina, C. alma, C. alopecoidea, C. amphibola, C. amplectens, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. annectens, C. anthoxanthea, C. aperta, C. appalachica, C. aquatilis, C. arapahoensis, C. arcta, C. arctata, C. arctiformis, C. arenaria, C. argyrantha, C. arkansana, C. assiniboinensis, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atlantica, C. atrata, C. atratiformis, C. atrofusca, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. aureolensis, C. austrina, C. austrocaroliniana, C. backii, C. baileyi, C. baltzellii, C. barbarae, C. barrattii, C. basiantha, C. bebbii, C. bella, C. bicknellii, C. bicolor, C. bigelowii, C. biltmoreana, C. blanda, C. bolanderi, C. bonanzensis, C. brainerdii, C. brevicaulis, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. bromoides, C. brunnescens, C. brysonii, C. bulbostylis, C. bullata, C. bushii, C. buxbaumii, C. calcifugens, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. careyana, C. caroliniana, C. caryophyllea, C. castanea, C. cephaloidea, C. cephalophora, C. chalciolepis, C. chapmanii, C. cherokeensis, C. chihuahuensis, C. chordorrhiza, C. circinata, C. collinsii, C. communis, C. comosa, C. complanata, C. concinna, C. concinnoides, C. congdonii, C. conjuncta, C. conoidea, C. constanceana, C. cordillerana, C. corrugata, C. crawei, C. crawfordii, C. crebriflora, C. crinita, C. cristatella, C. crus-corvi, C. cryptolepis, C. cumberlandensis, C. cumulata, C. curatorum, C. cusickii, C. dasycarpa, C. davisii, C. davyi, C. debilis, C. decomposita, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. deweyana, C. diandra, C. digitalis, C. diluta, C. disperma, C. distans, C. disticha, C. divisa, C. divulsa, C. douglasii, C. duriuscula, C. ebenea, C. eburnea, C. echinata, C. edwardsiana, C. egglestonii, C. eleusinoides, C. elliottii, C. elynoides, C. emoryi, C. endlichii, C. engelmannii, C. epapillosa, C. exilis, C. exsiccata, C. extensa, C. festucacea, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. fissa, C. fissuricola, C. flacca, C. flaccosperma, C. flava, C. floridana, C. foenea, C. folliculata, C. formosa, C. fracta, C. frankii, C. fuliginosa, C. garberi, C. geophila, C. geyeri, C. gholsonii, C. gigantea, C. glacialis, C. glareosa, C. glaucescens, C. glaucodea, C. globosa, C. gmelinii, C. godfreyi, C. gracilescens, C. gracilior, C. gracillima, C. granularis, C. gravida, C. grayi, C. grisea, C. gynandra, C. gynocrates, C. gynodynama, C. halliana, C. hallii, C. harfordii, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. haydenii, C. heleonastes, C. helleri, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. heterostachya, C. hirsutella, C. hirta, C. hirtifolia, C. hirtissima, C. hitchcockiana, C. holostoma, C. hoodii, C. hookeriana, C. hormathodes, C. hostiana, C. houghtoniana, C. hyalina, C. hyalinolepis, C. hystericina, C. idahoa, C. illota, C. impressinervia, C. incurviformis, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. intumescens, C. jamesii, C. jonesii, C. joorii, C. juniperorum, C. kobomugi, C. kraliana, C. krausei, C. lachenalii, C. lacustris, C. laeviconica, C. laeviculmis, C. laevivaginata, C. lapponica, C. lasiocarpa, C. latebracteata, C. lativena, C. laxa, C. laxiculmis, C. laxiflora, C. leavenworthii, C. lemmonii, C. lenticularis, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptonervia, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. loliacea, C. lonchocarpa, C. longii, C. louisianica, C. lucorum, C. lupuliformis, C. lupulina, C. lurida, C. lutea, C. luzulifolia, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. mackenziei, C. macloviana, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. magellanica, C. manhartii, C. marina, C. mariposana, C. maritima, C. mckittrickensis, C. meadii, C. media, C. melanostachya, C. membranacea, C. mendocinensis, C. merritt-fernaldii, C. mertensii, C. mesochorea, C. michauxiana, C. microchaeta, C. microdonta, C. microglochin, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. misera, C. missouriensis, C. mitchelliana, C. molesta, C. molestiformis, C. muehlenbergii, C. multicaulis, C. multicostata, C. muricata, C. muriculata, C. muskingumensis, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. nelsonii, C. nervina, C. neurophora, C. nigra, C. nigricans, C. nigromarginata, C. normalis, C. norvegica, C. nova, C. novae-angliae, C. nudata, C. obispoensis, C. obnupta, C. obtusata, C. occidentalis, C. oklahomensis, C. oligocarpa, C. oligosperma, C. opaca, C. oreocharis, C. ormostachya, C. oronensis, C. ouachitana, C. ovalis, C. oxylepis, C. ozarkana, C. pachystachya, C. paeninsulae, C. paleacea, C. pallescens, C. panicea, C. pansa, C. parallela, C. parryana, C. pauciflora, C. paysonis, C. peckii, C. pedunculata, C. pellita, C. pelocarpa, C. pendula, C. pensylvanica, C. perdentata, C. perglobosa, C. petasata, C. petricosa, C. phaeocephala, C. picta, C. pigra, C. pityophila, C. planispicata, C. planostachys, C. plantaginea, C. platyphylla, C. pluriflora, C. podocarpa, C. polymorpha, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. prairea, C. prasina, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. projecta, C. proposita, C. pseudocyperus, C. pumila, C. purpurifera, C. radfordii, C. radiata, C. ramenskii, C. rariflora, C. raynoldsii, C. recta, C. reniformis, C. retroflexa, C. retrorsa, C. richardsonii, C. roanensis, C. rosea, C. rossii, C. rostrata, C. rotundata, C. rufina, C. rupestris, C. ruthii, C. sabulosa, C. salina, C. sartwelliana, C. sartwellii, C. saxatilis, C. saximontana, C. scabrata, C. scabriuscula, C. schottii, C. schweinitzii, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. senta, C. seorsa, C. serpenticola, C. serratodens, C. sheldonii, C. shortiana, C. siccata, C. silicea, C. simulata, C. socialis, C. sparganioides, C. specifica, C. spectabilis, C. specuicola, C. spicata, C. spissa, C. sprengelii, C. squarrosa, C. stenoptila, C. sterilis, C. stevenii, C. stipata, C. straminea, C. straminiformis, C. striata, C. striatula, C. stricta, C. styloflexa, C. stylosa, C. subbracteata, C. suberecta, C. subfusca, C. subnigricans, C. subspathacea, C. superata, C. supina, C. swanii, C. sychnocephala, C. sylvatica, C. tahoensis, C. tenax, C. tenera, C. tenuiflora, C. tetanica, C. tetrastachya, C. texensis, C. thornei, C. thurberi, C. timida, C. tincta, C. tompkinsii, C. tonsa, C. torreyi, C. torta, C. triangularis, C. tribuloides, C. trichocarpa, C. triquetra, C. trisperma, C. tuckermanii, C. tumulicola, C. turbinata, C. turgescens, C. typhina, C. umbellata, C. unilateralis, C. ursina, C. utriculata, C. vacillans, C. vaginata, C. vallicola, C. venusta, C. vernacula, C. verrucosa, C. vesicaria, C. vestita, C. vexans, C. virescens, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. whitneyi, C. wiegandii, C. willdenowii, C. williamsii, C. woodii, C. wootonii, C. xerantica
Synonyms C. acuta var. sparsiflora, C. caespitosa var. ramosa, C. torta var. composita, C. torta var. staminata
Name authority Boott: in E. Tuckerman, Enum. Meth. Caric., 11. (1843) P. E. Rothrock & Reznicek: Novon 11: 225, fig. 3E. (2001)
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