Carex echinata
Prodr. Stirp. Gott., 76. 1770.
Culms 10–90(–135) cm. Leaves 3–6 per culm; sheaths tight, inner band hyaline, 1.8–2.5 cm, apex concave, glabrous; ligules 0.6–2.5(–4.5) mm, rounded to ± acute; blades plicate, 5–40 cm × 0.7–3.3(–3.8) mm, widest leaf 1–3.3(–3.8) mm wide. Inflorescences 0.7–7.8 cm; spikes (2–)3–8; lateral spikes pistillate often with few staminate flowers proximally, 3–15.5 mm, sessile, staminate portion 7-flowered, to 8.2 mm, pistillate portion 3–32-flowered, 2.5–11 mm; basal 2 spikes 1.7–42 mm apart; terminal spike gynecandrous, 5–24 mm, staminate portion 2–17-flowered, 2–16.5 × 0.9–2 mm, pistillate portion 4–26-flowered, 2.6–9 × 4.9–9.1 mm. Pistillate scales ovate, (1.4–)2.1–3.1 × 0.7–2.3 mm, apex acute to sometimes obtuse. Staminate scales ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 1.3–3.8 × 0.8–1.7 mm, base clavate, apex acute. Anthers 0.8–1.6(–2) mm. Perigynia spreading to reflexed, castaneous to dark brown, 2–14-veined abaxially, 0–12-veined adaxially over achene, lanceolate to ovate, (2.65–)2.9–4.75 × 0.8–2.1 mm, (1.7–)1.8–3.2(–3.6) times as long as wide; beak (0.85–)0.95–2 mm, (0.4–)0.45–0.86 length of body, serrulate, teeth (0–)0.15–0.5 mm. Achenes ovate-lanceolate to rhombic-ovate, 1.3–2.1 × 0.8–1.55 mm. 2n = 58.
Distribution
North America, Mexico, Central America, Eurasia.
Discussion
Subspecies 3 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Inflorescences lax to dense, usually 2.5–8 cm; distance between basal 2 spikes usually longer than basal spike. | Carex echinata subsp. echinata |
| 1 | Inflorescences very dense, 1.2–2.5(–4) cm; distance between basal 2 spikes usually less than length of basal spike. | > 2 |
| 2 | Perigynia 2.9–3.6(–4) mm, often veinless over achene on adaxial surface; widest leaves 1–2.4(–2.7) mm wide; widespread. | Carex echinata subsp. echinata |
| 2 | Perigynia (3.1)3.5–4.75 mm, 2–12-veined over achene on adaxial surface; widest leaves (1.7–)2.3–3.3(–3.8) mm wide; west coast. | Carex echinata subsp. phyllomanica |