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.