Carex petasata

Illustrator: Susan A. Reznicek

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Plants densely cespitose. Culms 30–85 cm. Leaves: sheaths adaxially white-hyaline, summits U-shaped, prolonged more than 2.8 mm; distal ligules 2–5 mm; blades (2–)3–4 per fertile culm, 10–30(–40) cm × 2–4(–5) mm. Inflorescences open, stiffly erect, green, gold, or pale brown, (2–)2.5–4.5(–6) cm × 9–16 mm; proximal internode 4.5–9 mm; 2d internode (2–)5–9(–11) mm; proximal bracts scalelike, awn shorter than inflorescences. Spikes (3–)4–7, distant, distinct, fusiform, ovoid, or obovoid, 15–27 × 5.5–9 mm, base tapered to attenuate, apex acute or rounded. Pistillate scales whitish green or gold, with greenish to gold midstripe, lanceolate or ovate, 5.8–7.6 mm, ± equaling perigynia, concealing beaks, margin white, 0.2–0.7 mm wide, apex acute to acuminate. Staminate scales with white-hyaline margin (0.2–)0.3–0.7 mm wide. Perigynia appressed to ascending, whitish green to brown, conspicuously 10–19-veined abaxially, conspicuously 4–10-veined adaxially, at least 3 adaxially veins longer than achene, lanceolate to ovate, plano-convex, 6–8 × 1.7–2.4 mm, 0.5–0.9 mm thick, margin flat, including wing (0.2–)0.3–0.5 mm wide, ciliate-serrulate at least distally; beak green, red-brown, brown, or gold, white-hyaline at tip, cylindric, unwinged, ± entire to 1 mm or flat, ± ciliate-serrulate, abaxial suture with conspicuous white margin, distance from beak tip to achene (2.8–)3.2–4.6 mm. Achenes elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 2.2–3 × (1.1–)1.3–1.8 mm, 0.5–0.7 mm thick.

Phenology: Fruiting summer.
Habitat: Dry to wet meadows, grasslands, open woods
Elevation: 500 m to timberline

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Alta., B.C., N.W.T., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

See comment under 125. Carex xerantica.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.