Carex argyrantha

Tuckerman

Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 29: 346. 1860.

Common names: Silvery-flowered sedge carex argenté
IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 358. Mentioned on page 334, 357.

Plants loosely cespitose. Culms 30–100 cm. Leaves: sheaths papillose, summits U-shaped; distal ligules 3.5–5 mm; blades 4–5 per fertile culm, green, without auricles, 17–37 cm × 2–5 mm, pliable. Inflorescences arching or nodding from proximal spike, open at least proximally, silvery greenish yellow, 2.5–6.5 cm × 7–17 mm; proximal internode 7–18 mm; 2d internode 3–10 mm; often aristate or long-aristate; proximal bracts scalelike. Spikes (3–)7–15, widely spaced except the distal densely aggregated, proximal 1 often stalked, nearly globose or ovoid, 6–17 × 4.5–7 mm, base clavate or attenuate, apex rounded. Pistillate scales silvery pale green with pale or green midstripe, lance-subulate, (3.2–)3.5–4.1(–4.6) mm, shorter and narrower than or equaling perigynia, margin white-hyaline, to 0.6 mm wide, apex acute. Perigynia ascending to spreading, uniformly pale green to straw colored, conspicuously, evenly (4–)5–8(–10)-veined on each face, ovate to obovate, plano-convex, 3–4.5 × 1.9–2.3 mm, 0.6 mm thick, usually widest at 2/5–1/2 total length, margin flat, including wing 0.2–0.6 mm wide, finely granular-papillose; beak whitish at tip, flat, ciliate-serrulate to within 0.3 mm of tip, abaxial suture inconspicuous, distance from beak tip to achene 1.2–2 mm. Achenes oblong-ovate, 1.5–1.75 × 1–1.2 mm, 1.4–1.6 times as long as wide, 0.5 mm thick. 2n = 80.


Phenology: Fruiting mid summer.
Habitat: Dry clearings, open woods, on acidic, rocky, or sandy substrates, rock outcrops
Elevation: 0–700+ m

Distribution

V23 622-distribution-map.jpg

N.B., N.S., Ont., Que., Conn., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Carex argyrantha"
Joy Mastrogiuseppe +, Paul E. Rothrock +, A. C. Dibble +  and A. A. Reznicek +
Tuckerman +
Silvery-flowered sedge +  and carex argenté +
N.B. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Conn. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, R.I. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +  and W.Va. +
0–700+ m +
Dry clearings, open woods, on acidic, rocky, or sandy substrates, rock outcrops +
Fruiting mid summer. +
Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Carex argyrantha +
Carex sect. Ovales +
species +