Flora of North America species comparison

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Carex vallicola

Carex sect. Phaestoglochin

valley sedge, western valley sedge
Habit Plants without conspicuous rhizomes. Plants cespitose, short-rhizomatous or inconspicuously rhizomatous.
Culms

12–60 cm, 1–1.3 mm wide basally, 0.5–1 mm wide distally.

bases brown, rarely red tinged.
Leaves

sheaths tight, green, fronts hyaline;

ligules less than 2 mm, wider than long;

widest leaf blades 1–3 mm wide, papillose adaxially.

basal sheaths fibrous;

sheath fronts membranous, rarely dotted red, transversely rugose, distal leaves with at least narrow hyaline or white-hyaline band;

blades V-shaped in cross section when young, glabrous.
Inflorescences

with 5–10 crowded spikes, 0.5–3 cm × 5–8 mm;

proximal bracts to 1(–3) cm;

spikes with 2–10 ascending perigynia.

racemose or, rarely, 1–2 branched proximally, with 3–15 spikes;

proximal bracts filiform or leaflike, sheathless;

lateral spikes androgynous or pistillate, sessile, without prophylls;

terminal spike androgynous.
Perigynia

brown, abaxial face 7–15-veined proximally, otherwise veinless or obscurely veined, 3.3–4 × 1.8–2.3 mm, base of perigynium spongy, thickened and longitudinally striate adaxially, spongy region 0.7–1 mm, margins serrulate to subentire distally;

beak 0.5–1 mm, apical teeth 0.1–0.3 mm.

ascending or spreading, veined or not on both faces, stipitate, lanceolate to broadly ovate or obovate, plano-convex in cross section, widest above base, base rounded, with spongy tissue, margins acutely angled, apex tapering, often abruptly beaked, glabrous;

beak 0.3–3 mm, with abaxial suture, bidentate.
Achenes

ovate to circular, 1.6–2.7 × 1.5–2 mm.

biconvex, smaller than bodies of perigynia;

style deciduous.
Pistillate

scales hyaline or pale brown with green 1–3-veined center, ovate, 2.8–3.2 × 1.8–2.6 mm, body slightly shorter than to length of perigynium, apex acute to short-awned.

Anthers

1.8–2.3 mm.

Stigmas

straight or slightly twisted, 0.05 mm wide.

2.
Proximal

pistillate scales greenish hyaline with 1-veined center, apex obtuse to acuminate or awned.

Carex vallicola

Carex sect. Phaestoglochin
Phenology Fruiting spring–early summer.
Habitat Dry to mesic hillsides, grasslands, thickets, open forests
Elevation 500–3000 m (1600–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Hidalgo)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Mainly in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere
Discussion

Species ca. 27 (25 in the flora).

K. K. Mackenzie (1931–1935, parts 2–3, pp. 41–53) combined sections Phaestoglochin Dumortier and Bracteosae Pax; sect. Bracteosae is now considered to be endemic to Central and South America.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Proximal leaf sheaths longitudinally green-and-white-striped and with prominent green cross veins, usually loose; widest leaf blade 3–10 mm wide.
→ 2
1. Proximal leaf sheaths not or indistinctly striped, without prominent cross veins, tight; widest leaf blade 0.5–4(–5) mm wide.
→ 5
2. Bodies of pistillate scales 2.2–4.4 × 1.2–2.4 mm, mostly more than 1/2 length of perigynia, apex acuminate to awned; anthers 1.5–3 mm.
→ 3
2. Bodies of pistillate scales 1.5–2.5 × 1.1–1.8 mm, mostly less than 1/2 length of perigynia, apex obtuse to acuminate or shortly awned; anthers 0.7–1.3 mm.
→ 4
3. Fronts of leaf sheaths white, hyaline, thin, and fragile at mouth, backs not white spotted.
C. gravida
3. Fronts of leaf sheaths yellow or brown, thick, and firm at mouth, backs often white spotted.
C. aggregata
4. Proximal internodes of inflorescences usually not more than 1 cm, usually less than 2 times as long as proximal spikes; bodies of perigynia with narrow wing not more than 0.1 mm wide.
C. cephaloidea
4. Proximal internodes of inflorescences usually 2+ cm, at least 2 times as long as proximal spikes; bodies of perigynia with narrow wing 0.1–0.2 mm wide, at least distally.
C. sparganioides
5. Perigynium beak margins smooth.
→ 6
5. Perigynium beak margins serrulate.
→ 9
6. Pistillate scales not more than 1/3–3/4 length of perigynia; bases of perigynia not longitudinally striate on adaxial face.
C. leavenworthii
6. Pistillate scales at least 3/4 length of perigynia; bases of perigynia longitudinally striate on adaxial side.
→ 7
7. Perigynia ascending, 1.8–2.3 mm wide; pistillate scales 1.8–2.2 mm wide; achenes 1.6–2.7 mm.
C. vallicola
7. Perigynia spreading to reflexed when mature, 1–1.8 mm wide; pistillate scales 0.8–1.6 mm wide; achenes 1.3–1.6 mm.
→ 8
8. Perigynia (1.2–)1.4–1.8 mm wide, 1.5–2.3 times as long as wide; widest leaf blades 1.4–3 mm wide.
C. retroflexa
8. Perigynia 1–1.3 mm wide, 2.3–3.1 times as long as wide; widest leaf blades 1–1.7 mm wide.
C. texensis
9. Proximal bracts at least 2 times as long as inflorescences, 6 cm or longer; perigynia 1.9–3 mm wide.
→ 10
9. Proximal bracts shorter than to less than 2 times as long as inflorescences, to 6(–11) cm; if longer, perigynia 0.7–1.8 mm wide.
→ 11
10. Proximal nodes of inflorescences as long as or longer than proximal spikes; perigynium beak 0.8–1.2 mm.
C. arkansana
10. Proximal nodes of inflorescences shorter than proximal spikes; perigynium beak (1–)1.4–1.8 mm.
C. perdentata
11. Inflorescences lax; proximal internodes more than 2 times as long as proximal spikes.
→ 12
11. Inflorescences dense; proximal internodes less than 2 times as long as proximal spikes.
→ 17
12. Pistillate scales (2.5–)2.7–4.5 mm; perigynia not or only slightly spongy thickened at base, not longitudinally striate.
→ 13
12. Pistillate scales 1–2.5 mm; perigynia spongy thickened at base and longitudinally striate adaxially.
→ 14
13. Pistillate scales hyaline or pale brown, shorter than perigynia; perigynia 1.7–2.6 mm wide.
C. divulsa
13. Pistillate scales brown, exceeding perigynia; perigynia 1.2–1.5 mm wide.
C. hookeriana
14. Stigmas straight, twisted or slightly coiled, 0.03–0.06 mm wide; spongy bases of perigynia 1–1.5 mm, 0.2–0.3 times length of perigynia.
→ 15
14. Stigmas usually tightly coiled, 0.05–0.1 mm wide; spongy bases of perigynia 0.5–1.3 mm, not more than 0.2 times length of perigynia.
→ 16
15. Perigynia 1.5–3 times as long as wide; achenes 1–1.4 mm wide, not more than 2 times as long as wide.
C. radiata
15. Perigynia 3–5 times as long as wide; achenes 0.8–1 mm wide, 2– 2.4 times as long as wide.
C. socialis
16. Widest leaf blades 1.8–2.6 mm wide; base of culms 1.5–2.2 mm wide.
C. rosea
16. Widest leaf blades 0.9–1.5 mm at widest; base of culms 0.7–1.4 mm wide.
C. appalachica
17. Bodies of pistillate scales at least as long as and wide as perigynia, largely obscuring them.
→ 18
17. Bodies of pistillate scales shorter than perigynia and narrower; perigynia easily visible.
→ 22
18. Pistillate scales with awn to 1–4 mm.
→ 19
18. Pistillate scales acute or with awn to 1 mm.
→ 20
19. Perigynia 2.2–3 mm wide, distinctly veined abaxially; achenes 1.9–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm.
C. austrina
19. Perigynia 1.2–1.5 mm wide, veinless or obscurely veined abaxially; achenes 1.5–1.7 × 1.1–1.2 mm.
C. hookeriana
20. Inflorescences globose or ovoid heads, 0.8–2 cm × 6–15 mm; proximal spikes not distinct.
C. hoodii
20. Inflorescences oblong, 1.5–5 cm × 6–10 mm; proximal spikes ± distinct.
→ 21
21. Perigynia ascending to spreading; beak 0.6–1.3 mm; pistillate scales 3.4–4 × 1.6–2 mm; proximal bracts usually shorter than spikes.
C. occidentalis
21. Perigynia erect; beak 1.2–3 mm; pistillate scales 4–5.2 × 2–2.8 mm; proximal bracts longer than spikes, often longer than inflorescences.
C. tumulicola
22. Bodies of pistillate scales not more than 2/3 length of perigynia; inflorescences dense, spikes individually indistinct.
→ 23
22. Bodies of pistillate scales at least 2/3 length of perigynia; inflorescences dense or lax.
→ 24
23. Perigynium bodies elliptic to circular, widest point at 0.4–0.55 of length of body; beak 0.7–1.1 mm, apical teeth 0.3–0.5 mm.
C. cephalophora
23. Perigynium bodies ovate, widest point at 0.25–0.4 of length of body; beak 0.3– 0.8 mm, apical teeth 0.1–0.3 mm.
C. leavenworthii
24. Perigynium beak obscurely toothed at apex, apical teeth not more than 0.2 mm; widest leaf blades 2 mm wide.
C. vallicola
24. Perigynium beak distinctly toothed at apex, apical teeth mostly 0.2–0.7+ mm; widest leaf blades 2 mm wide.
→ 25
25. Ligules 4–8 mm, distinctly longer than wide; basal scales and sheaths frequently tinged red or purple.
C. spicata
25. Ligules not more than 4(–5) mm, as wide as or wider than long; basal scales and sheaths brown or black, without trace of red or purple.
→ 26
26. Pistillate scales, except for midvein, dark brown.
C. muricata
26. Pistillate scales, except for midvein, hyaline or brown brown.
→ 27
27. Inflorescences dense, globose to ovoid heads, 1–1.5 times as long as wide, spikes not distinct.
C. mesochorea
27. Inflorescences somewhat lax, oblong, (1.5–)2+ times as long as wide, proximal spikes ± distinct.
→ 28
28. Perigynium beak (1–)1.4–1.8 mm, apical teeth (0.5–)1.4–1.8 mm.
C. perdentata
28. Perigynium beak 0.2–1.5 mm, apical teeth 0.2–0.6 mm.
→ 29
29. Perigynia yellow-green, becoming dark brown and glossy when mature, veinless or weakly 7(–11)-veined abaxially.
C. muricata
29. Perigynia yellow or yellow-brown when mature, strongly 9–15-veined abaxially.
→ 30
30. Pistillate scales narrower than perigynia, not more than 2 mm wide, apex acute or with awn to 1.5(–2) mm.
C. muehlenbergii
30. Pistillate scales as wide as perigynia, widest 2+ mm wide, apex with awn to 1.5–4 mm.
C. austrina
Source FNA vol. 23, p. 290. FNA vol. 23. Author: Peter W. Ball.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Phaestoglochin Cyperaceae > Carex
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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
C. aggregata, C. appalachica, C. arkansana, C. austrina, C. cephaloidea, C. cephalophora, C. divulsa, C. gravida, C. hoodii, C. hookeriana, C. leavenworthii, C. mesochorea, C. muehlenbergii, C. muricata, C. occidentalis, C. perdentata, C. radiata, C. retroflexa, C. rosea, C. socialis, C. sparganioides, C. spicata, C. texensis, C. tumulicola, C. vallicola
Synonyms C. rusbyi, C. vallicola var. rusbyi
Name authority Dewey: Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 32: 40. (1861) Dumortier: Fl. Belg., 146. (1827)
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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