Genus Carex L.
Род 146 (19). ОСТРИЦА —CAREX L.¹
L. Gen. PI. ed. 1 (1737) 280; Sp. Pl. ed. 1 (1753) 972.Fam: Cyperaceae J. St. Hill.
Genus: Carex L.
English Name: SedgeDescription:
Perennial herbaceous plants with dense or creeping rhizomes from which fruiting or barren shoots emerge. Stems usually trifoliate, rarely rounded, glabrous or rough, covered ± with leaves, basically covered by the vaginas of the leaves with petioles or only by vaginas without petioles, usually colored. Leaves with linear or bristly bent petioles. monoecious, rarely dioecious plants. Flowers collected in single or multiple little spikelets that form simple or complex spikelets-like inflorescences. The spikelets are either male only, or female only, or male on top and female on the rest (androgynous), or female on top and male little (gynecandric). In some cases, the male flowers are in the middle of the spikelets. At the base of the spikelets there are usually less or more strongly developed scaly membranes or leaf-like bracts with or without vaginas. The flowers are located one under the leather roof flake. Male flowers with 3 stamens with free stalks and linear anthers. The female flowers consist of one pistil with a single-celled ovary, a short column and 2-3 stigmas. The ovaries are hidden in a leathery or membranous sac formed by modified bracts, which is also preserved in the fruit and is called the fruit sac. It is streaked or without veins, glabrous or covered with bristles or hairs, narrowed at the tip and drawn ± in the form of a nose, which in most cases is split at the tip. Rarely, the fruit sacs are without a nose. The fruit is a three-walled or lenticular nut, convex on one side and flat on the other.
Table for determination of the species
1 Inflorescence apical, solitary ,. ie, the flowers attached directly to the stem ……...…............................................... 2
1* The inflorescence consists of several spikelets, ie the flowers attached to the branches of the inflorescence ................ 3
2 Inflorescence short ovate, dark brown. Female flowers (located at the bottom of the inflorescence) much more than 10 .................................................................................................................................................. 1. - C. pyrenaica Wahl.
2* Inflorescence oblong, light brown. Female flowers less than 10 (usually 3 - 5) …………............... - C. rupestris Bell.
3 All spikelets of the inflorescence contain both male and female flowers …………........................................…….… 4
3* Only some of the spikelets contain both male and female flowers or the spikelets of the opposite sex, ie some of them
contain only male flowers and others only female ………….......................................………..……………………… 17
4 The style with 3 stigma …………………………..………………....................................………………………. 5
4* The style with 2 stigma ……………………………………………….....................................………………… .. 6
5 Spikelets 5 - 6, close together in a dense, ovate or oblong ovate inflorescence. The nose of the fruit sac is long, rounded
and filed ………….....................................................................................……………………… 12.— C. curvula All.
5* The spikelets in the inflorescence 2 - 3, separated from each other. The tip of the amniotic sac is short, the circumference
is smooth …………....................................................................................………………..…. 13. - C. distachya Desf.
6 Rhizome with creeping shoots …………………………....................................………………………………….. 7
6* Rhizome dense, without creeping shoots ……………………........................................………………………… .. 8
7 Female flowers located at the bottom of the spikelets, males at the top ……………...............…… 3. - C. divisa Huds.
7* Female flowers located to the upper part of the spikelets, male to their lower part …….…….. 6. - C. praecox Schreb.
8 The spikelets in their lower part with female, in the upper part with male flowers …................................................…. 9
8* The spikelets in their lower part with male, in the upper part with female flowers …............................................….. 13
9 Fruit sac flat on the inside, swollen on the outside ……………………........................................………………… 10
9* Fruit sac on both sides strongly swollen …………….………......................................………. 11. - C. paniculata L.
10 (2) Inflorescence brown, oblong, cylindrical. Fruit sac along its entire length with clear veins .... 7. Foxtail - C vulpina L.
10* Inflorescence greenish yellow, oblong. Fruit sac on at least one side without clear longitudinal veins or only with
indistinct veins at the base ………………........................................................................................…………..……… 11
11 Female flowers (bags) face up. The individual spikelets spaced apart ………................………. 10. - C. divisa Stokes
11* Female flowers (bags) after flowering more or less spread. The spikelets are quite close .......................................... 12
12 Tongue rather broad, ovoid, higher than broad, with a torn edge. Fruit sac in its lower part (almost to the middle) with
two bumps ……………...............................................................................………………….… .. 8 - C. spicata Huds.
12* Tongue short triangular, wider than high, with a full edge. Fruit sac in its lower part without bumps or only in its base
with ring-shaped thickening …….................................................................................… 9. - C. cuprina (Sand.) Nendtv.
13 (8) Inflorescence short oval, almost compact, brown ………….......................................………………………… 14
13* Inflorescence greenish or straw yellow ……………….………….....................................……………………… 15
14 Each spikelet with more than 20 flowers. Cover flakes oblong-pointed. The fruit sac is as long as the corresponding
covering flake …………….............................................................................…………......... ........ 14. - C. leporina L.
14* Each spikelet with 6 - 10 flowers. Cover flakes broadly ovate, broadly pointed; Fruitless sac without wings, longer
than the skin scales ……….................................................................................…………… 15. - C. heleonastes Ehrh.
15 Bracts located at the base of the spikelets, identical to the stems. The lowest of them longer than the inflorescence ………………….……….......................................................................…..………...……………. 17. - C. remota L.
15* Bracts located at the base of the spikelets, membranous or filamentous, the lowest of which barely reaches the top of
the inflorescence .......................................................................................................................................................... 16
16 The neck of the amniotic sac is very short, shallowly two-toothed, pointed. Spikelets at fruit ripening ovoid-elliptic or
ovoid ………………………..........................................................................…….…………… 18. - C. canescens L.
16* The neck of the amniotic sac is strongly elongated, at the top deep two-toothed. The spikelets at the ripening of the
star-shaped fruits ………...................................................................................……………. 16. - C. stellulata Good.
17 (3) The male flowers are located only in those spikelets, which are located in the middle of the inflorescence. The other
spikelets with female flowers (sometimes all spikelets contain only female flowers) …...………… .. 4. - C. disticha Huds.
17* Male flowers collected only in the uppermost or only in the uppermost spikelet, or when some of the {upper spikelets
are bisexual, then the male flowers are located only towards the upper end of the spikelets ..............................……… 18
18 Only the uppermost spikelet composed of male and female flowers (the male ones located at the base of the spikelet,
and the female flowers towards the upper end). The other spikelets contain only female flowers ................................... 19
18* Male flowers collected only in the upper spikelets (sometimes, only in, the uppermost) or only in the upper part of
those spikelets that are. bisexual, and the female flowers in the lower spikelets or in the lower part of the bisexual spikelets ................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
19 Cover flakes oval, ascending or pointed, but without spikelet .............................................................................. 20
19* The cover flakes are oblong-pointed, at the top with a well-developed little awn .......... 25. — C. polygama Schkuhr
20 Fruit sac at the edges (in its upper half) finely toothed ...................................................... 49. - C fuliginosa Schkuhr
20* The fruit sac at the edges perfectly bare and smooth, without teeth ................................................ 23.— C. atrata L.
21 The style with 2 stigma ....................................................................................................................................... 22
21* The style with 3 stigma ......................................................................................................................................... 26
22 The whole inflorescence shorter than 3 cm ........................................................................................................... 23
22* The whole inflorescence longer than 5 - 6 cm ...................................................................................................... 24
23 The rhizome with long,; creeping shoots. The roof scales in the inflorescence are light brown .. 5. - C. colchica J. Gay
23* Rhizome compact, tufted, without or only with short, creeping shoots. The roof scales in the inflorescence are almost
black-purple ………………….................................................................................………….... 22. - C. dacica. Heuff.
24 The lowest female spike on a handle, 1 cm long ……….........................................…………. 19. - C. buekii Wimm.
24* All female spikelets seated ………………………………….....................................…………………………… 25
25 The spikelets are almost the same length. Males usually 2 - 4 or more (sometimes bisexual spikelets are found), females
linear …………………....................................................................................………………… .. 21. - C. gracilis Curt:
25* Female spikeles short cylindrical, shorter than male. Only one rare 2 - 3 male spikelets ........……….. 20. - C. acuta L.
26 Female spikelets arranged along the entire length of the stem, close to it and completely covered with large scaly shells.
The leaves are narrow, much longer than the shortened and not longer than 5-6 cm stem …...….…. 40. - C. humilis Leyss.
26* Plants with other characteristics ……………………………………….....................................………………… 27
27 Fruit sac completely or at least in its upper half covered with cilia or down …….….......................................…… 28
27* Fruit sac naked or ciliated at the edges …………………………….………....................................…………..... 39
28 Plants with long, creeping shoots. The fruiting sac is covered with long hairs and at the top with two pointed teeth. The
leaves are fibrous …................................................................................................................................ 62. - C. hirta L.
28* Plants with other characteristics ……………………………......................................…………………………… 29
29 The fruit sac of the ripe fruit (with the stem) longer than 5 mm …………........................................…….………… 30
29* The fruit sac of the ripe fruit (together with the stalk) much shorter than 5 mm ….............................................…..... 33
30 Female spikelets with less than 10 colors ………………........................................……… 39. - C. halleriana Asso
30* Female spikelets with more than 10 flowers ………...……….......................................………………………….. 31
31 Leaves flat …………………………………….………....................................………………………………… 32
31* Leaves narrow, bristly twisted ....................................................................................................... 52. - C. laevis Kit.
32 Female spikelets dark colored, almost black ………......................................................... 51. - C. sempervirens Vill.
32* Female spikelets brown …………………………………….......................................……. 42. - C. breviebllis D.С.
33. The fruit sac at the ripening of the fruit clearly three-walled, with convex edges ….............……….. 38. - C. Digitata L.
33* Fruit sac of ripe fruit obscurely tubular, rounded or partially flat, with swollen sides ................................................... 34
34 The fruit sac gradually narrows into a shorter or longer nose …………………...........................................……….. 35
34* Fruit sac rounded at the top, without or with a short nose ......................................................................................... 38
35 Tufted plant, without shoots at the base. Fruit sac elliptically elongated, with clearly protruding longitudinal ribs and
covered with curly hairs ..………...........................................................................................………. 31. - C. montana L.
35* Plant at the base with shorter or longer shoots. Fruit sac covered with perfectly short lashes .......................................... ……………………………......................................………………………………...…. 28. - C. caryophyllea La Tour.
36 The covering scales of the male flowers at the top are broadly membranous and more or less rounded ........................ ...................................................................................................................................................... 30. C. ericetorum Poll.
36* The covering scales of the male flowers on the top more or less pointed …............................................................... 37
37 Fruit sacs globular, with three strongly protruding ribs and covered with very small lashes ............... 26. C. tricolor Vel.
37* The fruiting sacs are swollen on the outside and flat and slightly sunken on the inside, covered with curly or straight bristles ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
38 The fruiting sac at the top with a sessile bicuspid opening. Plant with creeping shoots …..........… 32. - C. tomentosa L.
38* The fruit sac on top with a two-toothed nose. Stems compact, tufted. Plant without creeping shoots .............................. ....................................................................................................................................................... 29. - C. umbrosa Host
39 (27) The male spikelets in each inflorescence are usually two or more in number (see more specimens). Female spikelets
almost always linearly cylindrical, many times longer than wide ........................................................................................ 40
39* The inflorescence contains only one male spikelet .................................................................................................... 47
40 Female spikelets 6 - 18 cm long. Leaves wider than 1 cm …….........................................… .. 53. - C. pendula Huds.
40* Female spikelets up to 5 - 6 cm long. Leaves narrower than 1 cm ………........................................……………… 41
41 The fruit sac at the edges membranous and ciliated. The tip of the fruiting sac at the apex is two-toothed, almost as
long as the rest of the sac …….............................................................................…………… 41. - C. hordelstichos Vill.
41* The fruiting sac is not membranous-winged, nor ciliated at its edges ………...........................................…………... 42
42 Fruit sac with clear two-toothed nose. Teeth long …………….......................................………………………… 43
42* Fruit sac with a short nose that is not bicuspid at the top or is very short bicuspid ...............……………………….. 46
43 The fruit sac at its upper end is suddenly narrowed into a well-developed, thin and straight nose ................................... …………………………………………............................................……………………….. 61. - C. rostrata Stockes
43* Fruit sac at its upper end gradually narrowed into a shorter or longer nose ..................................…… …………… 44
44 The tip of the amniotic sac equal to the length of the sac itself or at most half shorter than it ....…. 60. - C. vesicaria L.
44* The nose of the amniotic sac is about 4 times (and more) shorter than the length of the sac itself ............................... 45
45 Leaves 1 - 2.5 mm wide. The fruiting sac with longitudinal deep furrows ..................................... 59. - C. nutans Host
45* Leaves at their widest part wider than 5 mm. Fruit sac with longitudinal convex veins ................... 57. - C. riparia Curt.
46 The nose of the amniotic sac perfectly short, without teeth, seated .............................................. 33. - C. glauca Murr.
46* The tip of the amniotic sac up to 1 mm long, slightly incised at the tip (two-toothed) ........…. 58. - C. acutiforrrus Ehrh.
47(39) Female spikelets at least 4 to 5 times longer than wide when mature ………............................................………. 48
47* Female spikelets at fruit ripening at most 2 - 4 times longer than wide …………...........................................………. 53
48 After ripening, the fruits are spread out horizontally, or even hanging down, longer and much wider than the whitish,
narrowly lance roof scales ..……..........................................................................................…… 56. C. pseudocyperus L.
48* Fruits facing up. Common features other …………….…….........................................…………………………..... 49
49 The petioles of the leaves, especially at the edges fibrous. Female spikes closely linear, with few flowers ......................... …………………..…………………………….................................................................………… 34. - C. pilosa Scop.
49* The leaves are not fibrous. Inflorescences with a different shape and more flowers 50 ….............................................50
50 Fruit sac with clearly convex longitudinal veins ………………............................................…… 55. - C. helodes Link
50* Fruit sac smooth, without veins or with veins not reaching the upper end of the sac ….............................................. .. 51
51 Female spikelets green. Cover flakes pointedly pointed ……..............................................…... 54. - C. silvatica Huds.
51* Female spikelets brown. Cover flakes short pointed or dull ……………….........................................………….…. 52
52 Not only the lower, but also the other female spikelets attached to perfectly thin, filamentous, spreading or bent petioles ................................................................................................................................................. 50 .. - C. ferruginea Scop.
52* Female spikelets seated or. with short, straight and thick petioles. Sometimes only the lower one is on a longer and bent
petiole ……….............................................................................................…………………………. 35. - C. panicea L.
53 (47) Fruit sac elongated in a well-developed and at the apex clear or obscure two-toothed nose ………......……… ... 54
53* Fruit sac with short, sessile nose, without teeth .......................................................................................................... 61
54 Female spikelets with few flowers, usually 3 - 8 ....................................................................................................... 55
54* Female spikelets with more than 10 flowers .............................................................................................................. 56
55 Ripe spikelets greenish. Fruit sac up to 5 mm long. The nose is long and equal to the length of the bag itself ................... ………………....................................................................................................................... 48. - C. depauperata Good.
55* The ripe spikelets are light brown. Fruit sac up to 2.5 mm long. The nose is significantly shorter than the bag itself .......... ………………………………..............................................................................………………..… 27. - C. nitida Host
56 All female spikelets located almost next to the male spikelet ..........…..........................................…… 46. - C. flava L.
56* All or only the lowest female spikelets spaced apart from each other and from the male spikelet ................................. 57
57 The Cover flakes of the female spikelets are greenish, and of the males straw yellow …… ............ 43. C. michelii Host
57* The Cover flakes of the female and male spikelets brown or dark colored …………..........................................…... 58
58 Stem at the base with creeping shoots. The Cover flakes of the male spikelets darkly colored, almost black ................... .......................................................................................................................................................... 59. - C. nutans Host
58* Stems tufted, compact, without shoots. The flakes of the male spikelets are brown ....... 59 59 The tip of the amniotic
sac at the tip is deeply two-toothed, along both sides and its teeth are finely serrated from their inner warming …….................
............................................................................................................................................................... 44. - C. distans L.
59* The tip of the fruit sac at the top shallow and indistinctly two-toothed, rio length on both sides and its teeth on the inside
bare and smooth .............................................................................................................................................................. 60
60 Fruit sac opaque, with strongly convex longitudinal veins. Leaves narrow, grooved ...................... 47. - C. extensa Good.
60* Fruit sac shiny, without longitudinal veins. The leaves are flat and wide ...................................... 45. - C. punctata Gaud.
61 (53) All spikelets sessile, densely clustered at the apex of the stem ....................................... 24. - C. pirinensis Achtarov
61* At least the lower female spikelets on petioles, 1 - 3 cm long ..................................................................................... 62
62 Fruit sacs vesicularly swollen, with obscure longitudinal veins. The Cover flakes of the female spikelets green, with ..........
membranous edges ........................................................................................................................... 36. - C. pallescens L.
62* Fruit sacs flat, with slightly swollen sides and veins only towards the lower end. The Cover flakes of the female spikelets
brown or black ............................................................................................................................................................... 63
63 Fruit sacs and covering scales of female flowers of brown color. The leaves on the edge are finely dusted ..................... ................................................................................................................................................................ 37. - C. limosa L.
63* Fruit bags green. The roof scales of the female flowers are black. The leaves along the edge are smooth ........................ .............................................................................................................................................................. 35. - C. panicea L.¹Developed by St. Valev (genus characteristics and description of all species) and B. Kitanov (the species identification table).
From: „Флора на Н. Р. България”, том II, БАН, София, (1964) * * * * *
Carex is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species[3] of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called true sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as caricology.
Description
All species of Carex are perennial,[4] although some species, such as C. bebbii and C. viridula can fruit in their first year of growth, and may not survive longer.[5] They typically have rhizomes, stolons or short rootstocks, but some species grow in tufts (caespitose).[4] The culm – the flower-bearing stalk – is unbranched and usually erect.[4] It is usually distinctly triangular in section.[4]
The leaves of Carex comprise a blade, which extends away from the stalk, and a sheath, which encloses part of the stalk.[4] The blade is normally long and flat, but may be folded, inrolled, channelled or absent.[4] The leaves have parallel veins and a distinct midrib. Where the blade meets the culm there is a structure called the ligule.[4] The colour of foliage may be green, red or brown, and "ranges from fine and hair-like, sometimes with curled tips, to quite broad with a noticeable midrib and sometimes razor sharp edges".[6]
The flowers of Carex are small and are combined into spikes, which are themselves combined into a larger inflorescence. The spike typically contains many flowers, but can hold as few as one in some species.[4] Almost all Carex species are monoecious; each flower is either male (staminate) or female (pistillate).[4] A few species are dioecious. Sedges exhibit diverse arrangements of male and female flowers. Often, the lower spikes are entirely pistillate and upper spikes staminate, with one or more spikes in between having pistillate flowers near the base and staminate flowers near the tip.[7] In other species, all spikes are similar. In that case, they may have male flowers above and female flowers below (androgynous) or female flowers above and male flowers below (gynecandrous). In relatively few species, the arrangement of flowers is irregular.
The defining structure of the genus Carex is the bottle-shaped bract surrounding each female flower.[7] This structure is called the perigynium or utricle, a modified prophyll. It is typically extended into a "rostrum" or beak, which is often divided at the tip (bifid) into two teeth.[7] The shape, venation, and vestiture (hairs) of the perigynium are important structures for distinguishing Carex species.
The fruit of Carex is a dry, one-seeded indehiscent achene or nut[4] which grows within the perigynium. Perigynium features aid in fruit dispersal.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
* * * * *
Distribution in Bulgaria: (Conspectus of the Bulgarian Vascular Flora) = conspectus&gs_l= Zlc.
Distribution:
References: „Флора на Н. Р. България”, том II, БАН, София, (1964), Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SPECIES:
Carex acutiformis Ehrh. - Lesser pond-sedge
Carex coryophyllea La Tour - Vernal sedge, Spring-sedge
Carex riparia Curt. - Greater pond sedge
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