Carex atlantica

Culms 10–110 cm. Leaves 3–5 per culm; sheaths tight, inner band hyaline, 3.5–24 cm, apex concave, glabrous; ligules rounded to obtuse, 0.5–3.7 mm; blades plicate, 8–60 cm × 0.4–4(–4.5) mm, widest leaf 0.8–4(–4.5) mm wide. Inflorescences 0.8–5.5 cm; spikes 2–8; lateral spikes pistillate often with a few staminate flowers proximally, 3.1–13.1 mm, sessile, staminate portion 10-flowered, to 6.5 mm, pistillate portion 3–40-flowered, 2.5–12 mm; basal 2 spikes 1.5–18 mm apart; terminal spike gynecandrous, 4.8–23.7 mm, staminate portion 2–21-flowered, 1.8–13.5 × 0.8–1.3 mm, pistillate portion 4–38-flowered, 3–11 × 4.4–7.5 mm. Pistillate scales ovate to ± suborbicular, 1.2–2.4 × 1.2–2 mm, apex obtuse to acute. Staminate scales ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 1.3–3.5 × 0.8–1.4 mm, base clavate, apex acute to obtuse. Anthers 0.6–1.5(–1.8) mm. Perigynia spreading to reflexed, green, 6–13-veined abaxially, (0–)1–12-veined adaxially over achene, broadly ovate to suborbicular, cuneate or concavely tapered from widest point to beak, 1.9–3.8 × (1.3–)2.1–3 mm, 1.1–1.7(–1.9) times as long as wide; beak 0.45–1.25 mm, 0.23–0.5(–0.63) length of body, serrulate, teeth 0.15–0.45 mm. Achenes deltate to rhombic-orbiculate, 1–1.9 × 1–1.7 mm.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

North America.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Carex atlantica subsp. atlantica, Carex atlantica subsp. capillacea

Key

1	Widest leaves 1.6–4(–4.5) mm wide; inflorescences usually (1.5–)1.8–5.5 cm; perigynia 2.3–3.8 mm.	Carex atlantica subsp. atlantica
1	Widest leaves (0.65–)0.8–1.6 wide; inflorescences usually 0.8–2 cm; perigynia 1.9–3 mm.	Carex atlantica subsp. capillacea