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Carex alopecoidea - (image 1 of 5)

Taxonomy

Family: Cyperaceae

Section Vulpinae

Habitat

Wet meadows.

Associates

Distribution

Quebec and ME to MI, MN, and Saskatchewan, south to NJ, IN, and MO.

Morphology

Tufted perennial; stems 40-80 cm, stout but soft, 2-3 mm wide pressed, usually shorter than the leaves; main leaves 3-6 mm wide; sheaths somewhat prolonged at the apex, smooth, fragile, red-spotted; inflorescence 2-4 cm, slender, simple or compound, the lower spikes sometimes separated; scales triangular ovate, usually shorter than the perigynia; perigynia maturing to golden-brown, flatly planoconvex, ovate, 3.2-3.8 mm long and half as wide, rounded at the base, faintly 2-3-nerved dorsally, nerveless ventrally, tapering to a rough beak 2/3 to nearly as long as the body.

Notes

Fruiting late June to July

Wetland indicator: FACW

Can be distinguished from other members of section Vulpinae by the combination of ovate perigynia with short beaks and smooth, fragile sheaths.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

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