113. Carex squarrosa L.

Pl. 61 o–s; Map 229

Flowering stems 15–80 cm long, sharply trigonous, brown at the base. Leaf blades 2–40 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, flat with the margins usually curled under. Leaf sheaths with the tip usually extended slightly past the insertion point of the leaf, truncate to shallowly concave, the ligule longer than wide and V-shaped, the ventral side thin, papery, and white to light tan, the lowermost sheaths brown to nearly black. Inflorescence with 1–4 spikes loosely spaced near the tip of the axis, the lowermost bract lacking a sheath or nearly so. Terminal spike pistillate toward the tip and conspicuously staminate toward the base, the pistillate portion 10–35 mm long, 15–25 mm wide, narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly ovate in outline, rounded at both ends, the staminate portion 9–18 mm long, linear to narrowly obtriangular. Lateral spikes (if present) 1–2, similar to the terminal one, but entirely pistillate or less commonly with a few staminate flowers at the base. Staminate scales 3–6 mm long, oblanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, the tip tapered to a sharp point, orangish brown with a green midrib and lighter margins. Pistillate scales 3–5 mm long, oblanceolate to lanceolate, the tip tapered to a sharp point or short awn, shorter than the perigynium and mostly obscured by it, orangish brown with a green midrib and lighter margins. Perigynia 5–9 mm long, spreading widely to horizontal, the surface with 2 ribs, otherwise nerveless or with 5–9 faint nerves, yellowish green to light brown at maturity. Styles strongly curved or contorted near the base. Fruits with the main body 2.2–3.0 mm long, narrowly elliptic in outline, bluntly trigonous, dark brown to nearly black, often somewhat iridescent. 2n=56. April–September.

Common in the eastern half of the state, but scattered to absent farther west (northeastern U.S. and adjacent Canada west to Minnesota and Arkansas). Swamps, bottomland forests, bottomland prairies, moist depressions of upland prairies, margins of ponds and sinkhole ponds, marshes, and fens; also railroads, roadsides, and ditches.