Carex edwardsiana

E. L. Bridges & Orzell

Phytologia 67: 148, fig. 1. 1989.

IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 454. Mentioned on page 451, 453.

Plants densely cespitose; rhizome internodes 0.2–6 (–8) mm, 1.6–2.2 mm thick. Culms strongly purple-red to (3.7–) 4.7–11.7 cm high at base, 6–34 cm; longest vegetative shoots (0.8–) 1.4–4.4 times as long as longest culms. Leaves: sheaths glabrous; blades green, widest blades 2–3.6 mm wide, smooth abaxially. Inflorescences (0.88–) 0.94–0.99 of culm height; peduncles of lateral spikes barely scaberulous or smooth; peduncles of terminal spikes 4.8–86 mm, barely to much exceeding lateral spikes; proximal bract sheaths tight, abaxially glabrous, sheath front apex concave or truncate; ligules 1–4.9 (–9.6) mm; blades uniformly green, distal bract usually much exceeding terminal spike. Spikes 3–5, widely separate or distal 2–3 spikes overlapping, proximalmost spike basal; lateral spikes pistillate, with 2–8 (–10) perigynia, (4–) 9–17 × 3.6–6.9 mm, ratio of spike length (in mm) to flower number = 1.5–3.8; terminal spikes 19–34 × 1.6–2.9 (–3.1) mm. Pistillate scales 1.8–6.3 × 1.4–2.1 mm, bodies 1.5–2.1 (–2.5) mm, margins whitish, entire, apex with awn 0.3–4.5 mm or rarely awnless. Staminate scales 3.8–6 × 1.4–1.7 mm. Anthers 3.8–4.2 mm. Perigynia distichously imbricate, 51–67-veined, unwrinkled, narrowly obovoidellipsoid, obtusely triangular in cross-section, 3.7–4.9 × 1.9–2.1 (–2.3) mm, 1.7–2.4 times as long as wide, dull, base gradually tapered, apex abruptly contracted; beak straight, 0.3–0.7 mm. Achenes obovoid, 2.6–3.4 × 1.7–2.1 mm, tightly enveloped by perigynia; stipe straight, 0.1–0.6 mm; beak straight, 0.05–0.1 (–0.15) mm.


Phenology: Fruiting spring.
Habitat: Dry-mesic decidous and deciduous-juniper woodlands in canyons and ravines, usually in clay loams very high in calcium on rocky banks and slopes just above streams and stream beds
Elevation: 300–500 m

Discussion

Carex edwardsiana is a local and uncommon endemic of central Texas. Most records are from the Balcones Canyonlands section of the Edwards Plateau. This species ranges the farthest southwest of any member of Carex sect. Griseae. In addition, its habitats are the driest of any species of the section. Carex edwardsiana usually grows near C. planostachys.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"shortened" is not a number."high" is not a number.

... more about "Carex edwardsiana"
0.26 cm2.6 mm <br />0.0026 m <br /> (0.34 cm3.4 mm <br />0.0034 m <br />) +
smaller +
1.7mm;2.1mm +
0.38 cm3.8 mm <br />0.0038 m <br /> (0.42 cm4.2 mm <br />0.0042 m <br />) +
tapering;rounded +
Robert F. C. Naczi +  and Charles T. Bryson +
E. L. Bridges & Orzell +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
tapered +
Griseae +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.015 cm0.15 mm <br />1.5e-4 m <br />) +
straight +
excurved +
0.005 cm0.05 mm <br />5.0e-5 m <br /> (0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br />) +
m--shaped +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br />) +
glumaceous +  and foliaceous +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
ascending +  and appressed +
scale-like +  and leaflike +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
purple-red +
round +  and trigonous +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (34 cm340 mm <br />0.34 m <br />) +
300–500 m +
open +, pistillate +  and staminate +
hypogynous +  and subtending +
truncate +  and concave +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Dry-mesic decidous and deciduous-juniper woodlands in canyons and ravines, usually in clay loams very high in calcium on rocky banks and slopes just above streams and stream beds +
0.94 +  and 0.99 +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
basal +  and cauline +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.49 cm4.9 mm <br />0.0049 m <br />) +
(0.8-)1.4-4.4 times as long as longest culms +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
yellowbrown +  and dark-brown +
0.37 cm3.7 mm <br />0.0037 m <br /> (0.49 cm4.9 mm <br />0.0049 m <br />) +
0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> (0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br />) +
Fruiting spring. +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br />) +
adventitious +
staminate +  and pistillate +
basal +  and proximal +
2-keeled +
0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br /> (0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br />) +
cylindric +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
overlapping +
0.48 cm4.8 mm <br />0.0048 m <br /> (8.6 cm86 mm <br />0.086 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
straight +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br /> (?) +
deciduous +
2-3(-4)-fid +
Carex sect. Oligocarpae +
Carex edwardsiana +
Carex sect. Griseae +
species +
0.29 cm2.9 mm <br />0.0029 m <br /> (0.31 cm3.1 mm <br />0.0031 m <br />) +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.29 cm2.9 mm <br />0.0029 m <br />) +
plant +  and cespitose +
2mm +  and 3.6mm +