Carex albida
Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 1: 9. 1889.
Plants densely to loosely cespitose; rhizomes thick, short. Culms to 60 cm. Leaves: blades 3–6 mm wide. Inflorescences longer than 15 cm, proximal internodes 100–250 mm; peduncles of proximal spikes commonly exserted less than 1 cm; proximal bracts with blade 40–125 mm, sheaths cylindric, 11–75 mm, mouth not purple-banded, 1.3–2.1 mm wide. Spikes 5–7; lateral spikes androgynous or pistillate, the proximal spikes erect to pendent, 9–20 × 5–8 mm; terminal spike staminate or androgynous, ± erect, 9–19 × 2.5–4.5 mm. Pistillate scales usually scarious with green to gold midvein, obovate to ovate, 2–4 × 1.2–2 mm, apex obtuse to acuminate or, sometimes, awned. Staminate scales gold with pale midvein with broad scarious margins, usually obovate, 2.8–4.3 × 1–2.4 mm, apex acute to short-awned. Anthers 1.4–2.2 mm. Perigynia spreading, green to gold, 11–16-veined, ovate to obovate, 3.1–4.5 × 1–1.6 mm, margins often ciliate distally, glabrous; beak distinct, 0.6–1.2 mm, apex white, ciliate, distance from beak tip to achene apex less than 1.4 mm.
Phenology: Fruiting late spring–early summer.
Habitat: Sphagnum bogs
Elevation: less than 90 m
Distribution
Calif.
Discussion
Of conservation concern.
Carex albida is similar to C. lemmonii and is now known from only one station in Sonoma County.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
"shortened" is not a number."thick" is not a number.