Carex media

R. Brown ex Richardson in J. Franklin et al.

in J. Franklin et al., Narr. Journey Polar Sea, 750. 1823.

Common names: Carex moyen
Illustrated
Synonyms: Carex alpina var. inferalpina Wahlenberg Carex angare Steudel Carex norvegica subsp. inferalpina (Wahlenberg) Hultén
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 406. Mentioned on page 402, 404.

Plants densely or loosely cespitose. Culms 15–50 (–70) cm, distally scabrous. Leaves 2–4 mm wide. Inflorescences: proximal bracts shorter than or exceeding inflorescence; lateral 1–2 (–4) spikes pistillate; proximal spikes distant, erect, and short-pedunculate; distal lateral and/or terminal spikes overlapping, sessile, contiguous, and forming dense terminal cluster, globose or oblong, 5–12 × 3–6 mm; terminal spike gynecandrous. Pistillate scales dark-brown to black to margins or distally hyaline, ovate or lanceolate, shorter than (often 1/2 the length), as broad as perigynia, midvein same color as body, inconspicuous. Perigynia erect or spreading, proximal ones sometimes reflexed, pale green becoming golden brown, veinless or few-veined from base to summit, ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, distal margins occasionally serrulate, apex gradually or abruptly beaked, smooth or papillose; beak 0.3–0.4 mm, bidentate, smooth or serrulate. Achenes nearly filling body of perigynia.


Phenology: Fruiting Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Forest openings, meadows, bog margins
Elevation: 100–1800 m

Distribution

V23 728-distribution-map.jpg

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.), N.W.T., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Mich., Mont., Oreg., Wash., Wis., Eurasia

Discussion

Carex media is circumboreal with extensions southward to the mountains of Montana, Oregon, and Washington, the driftless area of Iowa and Wisconsin, and the maritime provinces of eastern Canada. It occurs together with C. norvegica only in Quebec and Newfoundland (Labrador), where intermediates are known. All references to C. norvegica west of Hudson Bay are to this species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"shortened" is not a number.

... more about "Carex media"
trigonous +
smaller +
papillose +  and smooth +
rounded;tapering;obtuse;shortly awned +
David F. Murray +
R. Brown ex Richardson in J. Franklin et al. +
cuneate +  and more or less rounded +
serrulate +  and smooth +
bidentate +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
v--shaped +
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 +
Carex moyen +
papillose +  and smooth +
red +  and purple +
round +  and trigonous +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.) +, N.W.T. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Iowa +, Maine +, Mich. +, Mont. +, Oreg. +, Wash. +, Wis. +  and Eurasia +
100–1800 m +
hypogynous +  and subtending +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Forest openings, meadows, bog margins +
prophyllate +, pedunculate +  and pistillate +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
basal +  and cauline +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
inconspicuous +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
sessile +, veinless +  and veined +
spreading +  and erect +
Fruiting Jun–Aug. +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
scale-like;,;thread-like +
ladder-fibrillose +  and veined +
purple +, tinged red +  and dotted +
few-veined +  and veinless +
pale green becoming golden brown +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
in J. Franklin et al., Narr. Journey Polar Sea, +
black without yellowbrown +  and brown +
adventitious +
dark-brown +  and black +
basal +  and proximal +
2-keeled +
cylindric +
Illustrated +
sessile +  and pistillate +
cluster +, contiguous +  and overlapping +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
oblong;globose +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
2 +  and 3 +
papillate +
deciduous +
2-3(-4)-fid +
Carex alpina var. inferalpina +, Carex angare +  and Carex norvegica subsp. inferalpina +
Carex media +
Carex sect. Racemosae +
species +
pistillate +  and staminate +
stoloniferous +, rhizomatous +  and long +
plant +  and cespitose +