Carex diluta

M. Bieberstein

Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 2: 388. 1808.

IntroducedIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 523. Mentioned on page 521, 522.

Culms 15–55 cm. Leaves mostly basal; basal sheaths pale to dark-brown; blades of flowering-stems yellowish green, flat, shorter than stems, widest blades 3–4.6 mm wide, margins scabrous. Inflorescences: longer peduncle of terminal spike 1–2 (–4) cm; proximal bract mostly equaling or no more than 1.5 times as long as inflorescence; pistillate spikes (2–) 3–5, ascending, ovoid to short-cylindric; distal 1 or 2 pistillate spikes aggregated near staminate spike; the proximal widely separated, pedunculate; terminal staminate spike 8–25 (–30) × 2 mm. Pistillate scales brown to reddish-brown, with green or whitish midrib. Staminate scales brown, ovate-elliptic, margins scarious, apex obtuse or mucronate. Anthers 1.5–2.7 mm. Perigynia yellowish green, 2.6–3.5 × 1–1.3 mm, apex gradually tapered; beak 0.4–0.7 mm, smooth.


Phenology: Fruiting summer (Aug–early Sep).
Habitat: Open, damp, saline meadows and bottomlands
Elevation: 1300–1400 m

Distribution

V23 977-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Mont., Eurasia

Discussion

Carex diluta was discovered in Montana in 1995; it occurs there in relatively natural saline habitats. Its similarity to some Eurasian members of the C. diluta complex suggests that it is probably an introduction.

The taxonomy of Carex diluta and closely related taxa varies throughout Eurasia. A. O. Chater (1980) and T. V. Egorova (1999) applied a broad species concept, which is followed here. However, V. I. Kreczetowicz (1935) recognized four taxa in the complex: C. diluta (in the strict sense), C. karelinii Meinshausen, C. aspratilis V. I. Kreczetowicz, and C. czarwakensis Litvinov. Montana populations appear to correspond most closely to C. karelinii. Further comparisons of the Montana plants with Eurasian material are needed, and indeed, a further examination of this complex throughout its native range in Eurasia is warranted.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"shortened" is not a number."+timesaslongasinflorescence" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Carex diluta"
trigonous +
smaller +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br />) +
tapered;mucronate;obtuse +
William J. Crins +  and A. A. Reznicek +
M. Bieberstein +
pale;dark-brown +
cuneate +
Spirostachyae +
bidentate +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
v--shaped +  and septate-nodulose +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
glumaceous +  and foliaceous +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
ascending +  and appressed +
scale-like +  and leaflike +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
round +  and trigonous +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (55 cm550 mm <br />0.55 m <br />) +
Mont. +  and Eurasia +
1300–1400 m +
open +, pistillate +  and staminate +
hypogynous +  and subtending +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Open, damp, saline meadows and bottomlands +
pedunculate +  and pistillate +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
whitish +  and green +
usually not longer +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
yellowish green +
0.26 cm2.6 mm <br />0.0026 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
spreading +  and ascending +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br />) +
Fruiting summer (Aug–early Sep). +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
long-sheathing +  and leaflike +
Fl. Taur.-Caucas. +
adventitious +
staminate +  and pistillate +
brown +  and reddish-brown +
basal +  and proximal +
ovate-elliptic +
cylindric +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
staminate +  and pistillate +
ovoid;short-cylindric +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
deciduous +
2-3(-4)-fid +
Carex diluta +
Carex sect. Spirostachyae +
species +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
plant +  and cespitose +
3mm +  and 4.6mm +