Carex laxiculmis
Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 1: 70. 1824.
Plants densely cespitose. Culms erect, ascending, or spreading, 9–48 cm × 0.6–1 mm. Leaves: basal sheaths white or very light brown; nonbasal sheaths 7–32 mm, sheath blades 0.9–11.9 cm × 1–7 mm; leaf blades erect, ascending, or spreading, green or glaucous, 8–36 cm × 3–12 mm; blades of vegetative shoots 0–3.5 times wider than bract blades. Inflorescences: spikes (3–)4(–5) per culm, scattered; peduncles of pistillate spikes exserted 0–9 cm; of staminate spikes exserted 0–9.5 cm; bracts 2–11.8 cm × 1.3–4.8 mm. Pistillate spikes: the proximal basal, scattered, drooping. Staminate spike 1, linear, 8–22 × 1.2–3 mm. Pistillate scales keeled, 2.5–3.2 × 1–1.5 mm, midribs green, margins hyaline or, occasionally, reddish brown outward, apex cuspidate to acute, awn to 1 mm, proximal scale of lateral spike sterile or subtending a staminate flower. Staminate scales obovate, 3.5–4.5 × 1–1.2 mm, midribs green, margins hyaline or reddish brown outward, apex acute. Anthers 2–3 mm. Perigynia 4–9 per spike, finely veined, elliptic-ovoid, 2.5–4 × 1.5–2 mm; beak slightly bent, tapering. Achenes obvoid to broadly ovoid, 2.2–3.2 × 1.2–1.8 mm, slightly concave at maturity, tightly fitting in perigynia. Style slender ascending through entire orifice. 2n = 44, 46.
Distribution
Ont., Ala., Ark., Conn., D.C., Del., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., Mo., N.C., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Va., Vt., W.Va., Wis.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Leaves usually glaucous; widest leaf blade 6.4–11.8 mm; longest staminate spike (10–)12–25 mm. | Carex laxiculmis var. laxiculmis |
| 1 | Leaves usually bright green; widest leaf blade 5.3–8.3 mm; longest staminate spike 6–20(–23) mm. | Carex laxiculmis var. copulata |