Carex torta

Boott

in E. Tuckerman, Enum. Meth. Caric., 11. 1843.

Common names: Carex tordu
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Carex acuta var. sparsiflora Dewey Carex caespitosa var. ramosa Dewey Carex torta var. composita Porter Carex torta var. staminata Peck
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 396. Mentioned on page 381, 393.

Plants cespitose. Culms angled, 25–75 cm, glabrous. Leaves: basal sheaths red-brown; sheaths of proximal leaves glabrous, fronts lacking spots and veins, entire, apex truncate; blades 3–5 mm wide. Inflorescences: proximal bract subequal to inflorescence, 1–3 mm wide. 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. Pistillate scales purple-brown to black, shorter than perigynia, apex acute, awnless. 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. Achenes not constricted, dull. 2n = 66.


Phenology: Fruiting Jun.
Habitat: Rocky streambeds, banks
Elevation: 0–1500 m N.B., N.S., Ont., Que.

Distribution

V23 707-distribution-map.jpg

Ark., Conn., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va.

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Carex torta"
Lisa A. Standley +, Jacques Cayouette +  and Leo Bruederle +
Carex tordu +
Ark. +, Conn. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mo. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +  and W.Va. +
0–1500 m N.B., N.S., Ont., Que. +
Rocky streambeds, banks +
Fruiting Jun. +
in E. Tuckerman, Enum. Meth. Caric., +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Carex acuta var. sparsiflora +, Carex caespitosa var. ramosa +, Carex torta var. composita +  and Carex torta var. staminata +
Carex torta +
Carex sect. Phacocystis +
species +