Carex stipata
Sp. Pl. 4(1): 233. 1805.
Plants with basal sheaths of previous year not persistent. Culms easily compressed, to 120 cm × 7 mm, scabrous. Leaves: sheaths usually all with blades, green; fronts rugose, indistinctly linearly veined, apex colorless, fragile, convex, not forming extension, erose; ligules acute, 10 mm, free limb to 0.8 mm; blades not epistomic, to 100 cm × 15 mm. Inflorescences densely spicate, elongate, cylindric, with 15–25 distinguishable branches, 5–15 × 4 cm; proximal internode to 10 mm. Scales hyaline. Perigynia pale brown with red-brown veins, 15-veined abaxially, 7-veined adaxially, to 6 × 2 mm, base distended proximally, cordate; stipe to 0.4 mm; beak to 3.5 mm, serrulate. Achenes ovate, to 2 × 1.5 mm; stalk to 0.3 mm; persistent style base cylindric.
Distribution
Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Conn., D.C., Del., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., N.C., N.Dak., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Nebr., Nev., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., Vt., W.Va., Wash., Wis., Wyo., e Asia.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Leaves not more 10 mm wide; inflorescences to 10 cm; perigynia 4–5 mm; beak to 2.5 mm. | Carex stipata var. stipata |
| 1 | Leaves 8–15 mm wide; inflorescences 10+ cm; larger perigynia 5–6 mm; beak at least 3 mm. | Carex stipata var. maxima |