Carex muriculata

F. J. Hermann

Field & Lab. 17: 132. 1949.

Illustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 572. Mentioned on page 570.

Culms sharply trigonous, (10–) 20–80 cm; bladeless basal sheaths brown, strongly fibrillose. Leaves: sheaths tight, pale green to reddish-brown abaxially, whitish to brown stained and ± hyaline adaxially, glabrous; ligules 0.6–2.8 mm, rounded to obtuse; blades flat, convolute or revolute, 7–40 cm × 1–2.5 (–3.3) mm wide, glabrous. Inflorescences oblong to linearoblong, (1.6–) 2.5–7 cm × 8–15 mm; proximal bracts leafy, 9–27 cm, sheathless, with prominent hyaline margins basally; distal bracts gradually reduced; spikes 3–6, distal 2 or 3 ± approximate, (5.5–) 8–22 × (4.5–) 5.5–11 mm. Pistillate scales with strongly 3-veined, green to brown center and whitish translucent sides, oblong-lanceolate, exceeding perigynia and mostly concealing them, apex awn, when present, to 2 mm, glabrous. Staminate scales oblong-lanceolate, apex acute or short acuminate. Perigynia, green or usually brown tinged, prominently 8–16-veined, (3.3–) 3.5–4.6 × 1.4–1.8 mm, thick-coriaceous, granular-warty, white stellate-hirsute. Achenes obovoid to broadly-ellipsoid, 2–2.4 mm.


Phenology: Fruiting Apr–Sep.
Habitat: Rocky, dry slopes in calcareous soils
Elevation: 900–2200 m

Distribution

V23 1095-distribution-map.jpg

N.Mex., Tex., Mexico (Chihuahua), Mexico (Coahuila)

Discussion

Carex muriculata, like almost all members of sect. Schiedeanae, grows in sites that are very dry for most of the year. During unusually dry years, plants can be quite depauperate and difficult to determine.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"shortened" is not a number.

... more about "Carex muriculata"
obovoid;broadly-ellipsoid +
smaller +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
stellate-pubescent +
acuminate;short;acute +
A. A. Reznicek +
F. J. Hermann +
tapering +
bidentate +
0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
revolute +, convolute +  and flat +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
ascending +  and appressed +
scale-like +  and leaflike +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
green;brown +
trigonous +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br />) +
0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
N.Mex. +, Tex. +, Mexico (Chihuahua) +  and Mexico (Coahuila) +
900–2200 m +
open +, pistillate +  and staminate +
hypogynous +  and subtending +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Rocky, dry slopes in calcareous soils +
, +  and racemose +
1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
cladoprophyllate +, subsessile +  and short-pedunculate +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
basal +  and cauline +
rounded +  and obtuse +
0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br /> (0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br />) +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
0.33 cm3.3 mm <br />0.0033 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
white +, brown tinged +  and green +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.46 cm4.6 mm <br />0.0046 m <br />) +
stellate-hirsute +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
thick-coriaceous +
0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
Fruiting Apr–Sep. +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
sheathless +  and leafy +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (27 cm270 mm <br />0.27 m <br />) +
Field & Lab. +
adventitious +
staminate +  and pistillate +
concealing +
oblong-lanceolate;oblong-lanceolate +
cylindric +
Illustrated +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
deciduous +
2-3(-4)-fid +
Carex muriculata +
Carex sect. Schiedeanae +
species +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
plant +  and cespitose +