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Carex pallescens- (image 1 of 6)

Taxonomy

Family: Cyperaceae

Section Virescentes

Habitat

Moist woods and meadows.

Associates

Distribution

Newfoundland to WI, south to NJ and OH.

Morphology

Stems tufted, to 50 cm. Leaves 2-4 mm wide, soft-hairy below and on the sheaths, or more or less glabrous. Terminals spike peduncled, staminate, 1-2 cm. Pistillate spikes 2-4, crowded, short-cylindric, 8-15 mm; lower spike on a short peduncle, the upper nearly sessile; lower bracts surpassing the inflorescence, the upper much smaller; anthers 1.7-2.8 mm; pistillate scales ovate, about equaling the perigynia, pale green and somewhat brown-tinged, acute to cuspidate; perigynia ascending, ellipsoid, 2.2-2.8, nearly round in section, obscurely and finely nerved, beakless, obtuse. Achene concavely trigonous; stigmas 3.

Notes

Flowers May to June

Wetland indicator: Upland

In the same section as Carex hirsutella, and C. swanii, but unlike them this species has a terminal spike that is wholly staminate. Carex torreyi also has a staminate spike but its perigynia are more conspicuously nerved, beaked and ovoid.

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

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

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