Carex marina

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Plants loosely cespitose, in small clumps; rhizomes short. Culms erect, slender, 10–15 (–30) cm, rough distally. Leaves: sheaths pale-brown abaxially, persisting, inner band thin, hyaline, sometimes red tinged, truncate or shallowly concave at summit; ligules shorter than wide; blades pale green to gray-green, flat or slightly involute, 5–10 cm × 1–2 mm, shorter than culms. Inflorescences 0.7–1.5 cm × 4–7 mm; proximal bracts scalelike, occasionally bristlelike, shorter than spikes. Spikes 2–3 (–4), lateral spikes gynecandrous, closely approximate or the proximal slightly separate, individually distinct, containing 3–8 perigynia, oblong-clavate, 3–6 × 3–5 mm; terminal spike not clavate. Pistillate scales redbrown with lighter center and broad white-hyaline margins oblongovate, subequal to perigynia, apex obtuse. Perigynia appressed-ascending, green-white proximally, pale-brown distally, often brown in age, finely several-veined, elliptic, 2–3 × 1.25–1.5 mm, widest near middle, apex conic with weakly convex, usually entire margin, subcoriaceous; beak indistinct. Achenes redbrown, broadly obovate, 1.25–1.5 × 1 mm, dull to slightly glossy. 2n = 62, 64.

Phenology: Fruiting Jul–Aug.
Habitat: Boggy tundra, gravelly shores
Elevation: 0–200 m

Greenland, Man., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., Nunavut, Que., Yukon, Alaska

Discussion

Plants from Greenland and Europe often with two spikes and short-beaked perigynia have been called Carex marina subsp. pseudolagopina (Sörensen) Böcher; subsp. marina from North America and Siberia differs in having usually (2–)3(–4) spikes usually equal in size (the terminal spike not larger than the others), narrower leaves, and a more distinct beak. Both types occur in the North American material, subsp. pseudolagopina tends to be more arctic in distribution. The subspecies are not recognized here as separate taxa.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa