Carex misera

Illustrator: Susan A. Reznicek

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Plants densely cespitose. Culms dark maroon at base; flowering stems 25–50 cm, as long or slightly longer than leaves at maturity, 0.4–0.6 mm thick, glabrous, sometimes scabrous on angles within inflorescence. Leaves: basal sheaths maroon, bladeless, pubescent, often only sparsely so; others grading from maroon to green on back, brown-hyaline on front, red dotted and pubescent toward apex; blades flat, 1–2 mm wide, sparsely pilose on adaxial surface, margins ciliate. Inflorescences: peduncles of lateral spike 0–35 mm; peduncle of terminal spike 5–35 mm, minutely scabrous; proximal bracts equaling or often exceeding inflorescences; sheathless and auriculate or with sheaths less than 3 mm; blades to 1 mm wide. Lateral spikes 1–3, 1 per node, each overlapping 1 above but not crowded, proximal 1 often well separated, erect to ascending, sessile or pedunculate, pistillate with 10–25 perigynia attached less than 1 mm apart, narrowly elongate, 10–35 × 2–3 mm. Terminal spike staminate, 10–24 × 1.5–2.5 mm. Pistillate scales reddish brown with narrow hyaline margins and green midrib, ovate, shorter than mature perigynia, apex rounded to acute or cuspidate, glabrous. Perigynia green, usually red dotted, 2-ribbed and conspicuously 6–10-veined, narrowly lance-ellipsoid, loosely enveloping achene, 4–4.8 × 1.2–1.5 mm, membranous, base with stipe 1 mm, apex gradually tapering to beak, pubescent toward apex; beak truncate or minutely toothed, 1 mm. Achenes substipitate, 2–2.5 × 0.8–1 mm.

Phenology: Fruiting summer.
Habitat: Rock ledges, cliffs, balds in s Appalachians
Elevation: 900–1900

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ga., N.C., Tenn.

Discussion

Selected References

Schell, C. M. and M. J. Waterway. 1992. Allozyme variation and the genetic structure of populations of the rare sedge Carex misera (Cyperaceae). Pl. Spec. Biol. 7: 141–150.

Lower Taxa

None.