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Published In: American Midland Naturalist 4(6): 235. 1915. (Amer. Midl. Naturalist) Name publication detailView in Biodiversity Heritage Library
 

Project Name Data (Last Modified On 9/1/2009)
Acceptance : Accepted
Project Data     (Last Modified On 7/9/2009)
Status: Native

 

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61. Carex brevior (Dewey) Mack. ex Lunell

Pl. 47 t–x; Map 177

C. festucacea var. brevior (Dewey) Fernald

Plants with short, inconspicuous rhizomes, forming tufts or clumps. Vegetative stems shorter than the flowering stems and developing late in the season, the leaves clustered near the tip. Flowering stems 15–120 cm long, much longer than the leaves. Leaves with well-developed blades mostly 3–6 per flowering stem. Leaf blades 2–30 cm long, 1.5–4.0 mm wide, light green to green. Leaf sheaths extended past the insertion point of the leaf blade, the ventral side thin, white, papery, the tip concave, the ligule wider than long to about as long as wide and U-shaped. Inflorescence straight or less commonly somewhat nodding, the 2–6 spikes densely overlapping along the axis, the lowermost 1 or 2 spikes sometimes more loosely spaced. Spikes 6–16 mm long, 4–8 mm wide, the pistillate portion circular to broadly ovate or obovate in outline, rounded at the tip, with numerous perigynia with appressed or spreading tips, at least the terminal spike tapered to the usually well developed staminate portion, this often inconspicuous in lateral spikes. Scales 3.0–5.2 mm long, shorter and narrower than, but not hidden by the perigynia, narrowly ovate, sharply pointed, yellowish white to light reddish brown, with a green midrib and lighter margins. Perigynia 3.2–4.6 mm long, 2.3–3.5 mm wide, 1.1–1.7 times as long as wide, flat to slightly concave on the ventral side and flat to slightly convex on the dorsal side, the main body about as long as wide, more or less circular, widest at the middle, broadly winged to the base, rounded abruptly to a narrow beak with toothed or roughened margins, the wing ending more or less at the tip of the beak, the ventral and dorsal surfaces lacking papillae, nerveless or with faint, short nerves near the base on the ventral surface and finely 3–9-nerved on the dorsal surface, green to light brown or brown. Fruits 1.7–2.0 mm long, 1.2–1.6 mm wide, broadly oblong-ovate to nearly circular in outline, light brown. 2n=68. May–June.

Scattered nearly throughout Missouri, most commonly north of the Missouri River (northern U.S. south to Arizona, Texas, and Virginia; Canada, Mexico). Upland prairies in relatively dry sites, less commonly in moist depressions of upland prairies and bottomland prairies; also railroads, roadsides, pastures, and dry, open areas.

 


 

 
 
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