Carex hystericina

Muhlenberg ex Willdenow

Sp. Pl. 4(1): 282. 1805.

Common names: Carex porc-épic
IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 509. Mentioned on page 502, 506, 507, 508, 510, 511.

Plants densely to loosely cespitose; rhizomes short, no more than 10 cm. Culms trigonous in cross section, 20–100 cm, scabrous-angled distally. Leaves: basal sheaths usually strongly tinged with reddish purple; ligules longer than wide; blades pale to mid green, flat to W-shaped, 2.5–8.5 mm wide, glabrous. Inflorescences 2.5–12(–20) cm; proximal bract 4–30 cm, exceeding inflorescence; proximal (1–)2–3(–4) spikes pistillate, erect or often the proximal pendent; terminal 1 spike staminate. Pistillate scales lanceolate, 2.3–6.5 × 0.5–1.1 mm, shorter than perigynia, margins ciliate, , apex truncate to retuse, scabrous-awned, awn longer than body. Staminate scales scabrous-awned, sometimes also ciliate-margined. Perigynia spreading or the proximal reflexed, strongly 13–21-veined, veins mostly separated by 3+ times their width, confluent at or proximal to mid beak (except for 2 prominent lateral), elliptic, 4.5–7.3 × 1.4–2.1 mm, herbaceous, apex contracted; beak 1.9–2.8 mm, smooth, bidentulate, teeth straight, 0.3–0.9 mm. Stigmas 3. Achenes pale brown, trigonous, smooth.


Phenology: Fruiting May–Jul.
Habitat: Open swamps, sedge meadows, fens, stream, pond, and lakeshores, seeps, springheads, ditches, mostly in calcareous soils
Elevation: 0–2000 m

Distribution

V23 949-distribution-map.jpg

B.C., Man., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Ont., Que., Sask., Ark., Conn., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.

Discussion

Carex hystericina is widespread and common, even weedy, in regions with calcareous substrates. It hybridizes uncommonly with C. pseudocyperus and more rarely with C. comosa, C. schweinitzii, C. utriculata, and C. vesicaria. Hybrids are sterile and intermediate in morphology. The species epithet is often, but not originally, spelled “hystricina.”

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Carex hystericina"
A. A. Reznicek +  and Bruce A. Ford +
Muhlenberg ex Willdenow +
Vesicariae +
Carex porc-épic +
B.C. +, Man. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +  and Wyo. +
0–2000 m +
Open swamps, sedge meadows, fens, stream, pond, and lakeshores, seeps, springheads, ditches, mostly in calcareous soils +
Fruiting May–Jul. +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Carex hystericina +
Carex sect. Vesicariae +
species +