Fimbristylis thermalis |
Fimbristylis caroliniana |
|
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hot springs fimbristylis, hot springs fimbry |
Carolina fimbry |
|
Habit | Plants perennial, robust, 50–150 cm, cespitose or with culms solitary; rhizomes scaly, slender, elongate. | Plants perennial, to 150(–200) cm, cespitose or not; rhizomes scaly, slender, elongate. |
Culms | wand-like, at least 50 cm. |
|
Leaves | nearly distichous, spreading to ascending, 1/2 length of culms; sheath margins entire, backs smooth to pubescent; ligule present, complete; blades narrowly linear, proximally flat, 2–3.5(–4) mm wide, margins scabrid-ciliate, abaxial surface sometimes pubescent. |
nearly distichous, spreading to ascending, 1/2 length of culms, sheath margins ciliolate at junction with blade, backs smooth to pubescent; ligule present, usually complete; blades linear, 2–5 mm wide, flat to involute, margins scabridulous, surfaces mostly glabrous. |
Inflorescences | anthelae simple or compound, longer than wide; scapes wandlike, nearly terete or slightly compressed, distally 1 mm thick, marginal ribs scabrid; longest primary involucral bract shorter than panicle. |
anthelae compound, dense or diffuse, mostly longer than broad; scapes wandlike, broadly linear, distally usually compressed, marginal ribs scabrid distally; longest primary involucral bract exceeding or shorter than anthela. |
Spikelets | pale dull brown, lance-ovoid to cylindric-ellipsoid, 10–12 mm; fertile scales ovate, 3.5–4 mm, apex broadly acute, ciliate, surface uniformly puberulent, midrib excurrent as mucro or cusp. |
pale brown or red-brown, broadly ovoid, ellipsoid, or lanceoloid, 5–15 mm; fertile scales ovate, 3–4 mm, apex rounded, often puberulent distally, midrib excurrent as scabrid mucro or short cusp. |
Flowers | stamens 3; styles 2-fid, flat, fimbriate. |
stamens 3; styles 2-fid, flat, fimbriolate. |
Achenes | dark brown, lenticular-obovoid, 1.5 mm, finely cancellate, with 20 or more longitudinal rows of horizontally rectangular pits per side. |
pale to deep brown, lenticular-obovoid, 1 mm, finely but definitely cancellate with 14–15 horizontally oriented lattices per side. |
2n | = 20. |
= 20, 30, 60. |
Fimbristylis thermalis |
Fimbristylis caroliniana |
|
Phenology | Fruiting spring–fall. | Fruiting summer–fall. |
Habitat | Mineralized sands of hot springs, alkaline seep meadows | Sands or sandy peats of slightly brackish to circumneutral marsh, interdunal swales and low sandy areas near coast |
Elevation | 300–600 m (1000–2000 ft) | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Coahuila)
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AL; DE; FL; GA; LA; MD; MS; NC; NJ; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; West Indies
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Discussion | The tallest, coarsest plants of Fimbristylis caroliniana, formerly referred to as F. harperi Britton ex Small, are the most clonal of North American Fimbristyloids, some clones literally covering acres of sandy swale or beach. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 23, p. 124. | FNA vol. 23, p. 123. |
Parent taxa | Cyperaceae > Fimbristylis | Cyperaceae > Fimbristylis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Scirpus carolinianus, F. harperi | |
Name authority | S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 360. (1871) | (Lamarck) Fernald: Rhodora 42: 246. (1940) |
Web links |