Carex sychnocephala
Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 4: 24. 1847.
Culms aphyllopodic, smoothly 3-angled, 8–40 cm. Leaves: sheath white-hyaline adaxially, summit U-shaped, smooth; distal ligule 0.5–4.3 mm; blades 0–3 per culm, 12 cm × 1.2–3 mm. Inflorescences green or pale-brown, 1.6–3 cm × 7–15 mm; proximal internode (2–) 4–8 mm, 2d internode 1.7–4 mm; bracts appressed to ascending. Spikes 3–8, densely clustered except, often, the proximal 1–2, obovoid-oblanceoloid, 10–16 × 5–7 mm, base acute to acuminate, apex truncate. Pistillate scales white or gold-hyaline with green or gold midstripe, lanceolate to ovate, to 3.5–4.5 mm, shorter than or longer than perigynia. Perigynia appressed, green or gold to light-brown, conspicuously 3–12-veined abaxially, 0–9-veined adaxially, wing 0.1–0.15 (–0.2) mm wide, narrowly lanceolate, (4.6–) 5.5–7.3 × 0.7–1.2 mm, 0.3–0.4 mm thick; beak tip white, green, or gold, narrowly flat, distance from beak tip to achene 3–5 mm, ± ciliate-serrulate. Achenes elliptic to ovate, 1–1.8 × 0.6–0.8 mm, 0.3–0.4 mm thick. 2n = 64.
Phenology: Fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat: Wet areas, at least seasonally, open, sandy, silty or peaty shores, banks, on limestone
Elevation: less than 1500 m
Distribution
Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Colo., Iowa, Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., N.Y., N.Dak., S.Dak., Wash., Wis.
Discussion
Because Carex sychnocephala often lacks conspicuous rhizomes and has a small diffuse root system, it may appear to be annual. In some situations, it may actually grow as an annual.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
"shortened" is not a number."(" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.