Home
Fls unisexual, without perianth, borne in spikes, each fl solitary in the axil of a scale; spikes unisexual or bisexual, when bisexual the staminate fls usually either termina(spikes androgynous) or basal (spikes gynaecandrous); stamens (2)3; pistillate fls individually enclosed by a sac-like scale (the perigynium), from the mouth of which the style or stigmas protrude, as well as being subtended by the open pistillate scale; stigmas 2 or 3, the achene accordingly lenticular or trigonous; grass-like perennial herbs with 3-ranked lvs, closed sheaths, and triangular or terete, mostly solid stems, the lower sheaths bladeless (plants aphyllopodic) or with ± well developed blade (plants phyllopodic); spikes solitary and terminal, or much more often racemosely arranged in a terminal infl that is rarely again branched, sometimes some of them well removed from the others and axillary to lvs near the base. 1500+, cosmop., especially in moist North Temperate and Arctic regions.Some spp. of subg. Primocarex have a definite rachilla alongside the achene within the perigynium, showing that each pistillate fl represents a branch of an infl that has been reduced to a single fl. The perigynium is a highly modified bract on the adaxial side of this short, uniflorous branch. The bract wraps around the pistillate fl, and its margins are connate so that the fl is enclosed in a sac with a minute apical opening. In two of the four subgenera (Primocarex and Vignea) the line of fusion of the bract-margins can be seen as a suture or imperfection toward the tip of the dorsal side of perigynium. The side of the perigynium next to the pistillate scale is called the dorsal side, and the side next to the axis of the spike is called the ventral side. Many of the characteristically tristigmatic spp. of Carex occasionally have a few distigmatic fls intermingled; such specimens should be keyed as tristigmatic.
Herbs, perennial; rhizome usually stoloniferous. Culms tufted or sparse, lateral or central, erect, trigonous, bladeless sheathed at base. Leaves basal or basal and cauline, flat, rarely involute or revolute on margins, linear or lorate, rarely lanceolate, sheathed at base. Involucral bracts leaflike, rarely scale-shaped or setaceous, sheathed or not. Flowers unisexual, 1 male flower or 1 female flower in a unisexual spikelet, female spikelet included by prophyll, prophyll wholly connate at margins into utricle, sometimes reduced spikelet axis present in utricle, with scalelike bractlet at base. Spikes 1 to numerous, usually numerous spikes arranged in spicate, racemose, or paniculate inflorescence, composed of many unisexual or bisexual spikes, bisexual spike androgynous or gynaecandrous, usually plants monoecious, rarely dioecious, pedunculate or sessile, with or without sheathlike or utriculiform cladoprophyll at base; male flower with (2 or)3 stamens, filaments distinct; female flower with 1 pistil, style slightly slender, persistent or deciduous, base usually not thickened; stigmas 2 or 3. Utricles trigonous, plano-convex or biconvex, with slightly long or short beak. Nutlets rather tightly or loosely enveloped in utricle, trigonous or plano-convex.
Plants us. monoec., rarely dioec. Infl. a panicle, compound raceme, compound spike, cluster of spikes, or a single spike; bracts subtending panicles, spikes or individual spikes of compound infls, us. lf-like, sheathing or not sheathing. Spikes sessile or pedunculate, unisexual or bisexual, composed of ∞ 1-fld spikelets; each spikelet subtended by a glume. Fls unisexual; perianth 0. Male fl. with 3 stamens (rarely 2). Female fl. a single pistil enclosed in a sac-like organ (utricle); style 1, branched above to 2 or 3 stigmas which project from the small orifice at the apex of the utricle. Nut trigonous or biconvex, enclosed within the persistent utricle. Perennial herbs, either tufted, or with creeping subterranean rhizomes. Culms us. trigonous and solid, rarely terete and hollow. Lvs tristichous, us. linear, mostly crowded at base of culm and ensheathing it, with a very minute, membr. ligule at the junction of lf and sheath. A genus of c. 1,500–2,000 spp. in cold and temperate regions or at high altitudes in the tropics. Of the 73 N.Z. spp. 61 are endemic.
Herbs, perennial, cespitose or not, rhizomatous, rarely stoloniferous. Culms usually trigonous, sometimes round. Leaves basal and cauline, sometimes all basal; ligules present; blades flat, V-shaped, or M-shaped in cross section, rarely filiform, involute, or rounded, commonly less than 20 mm wide, if flat then with distinct midvein. Inflorescences terminal, consisting of spikelets borne in spikes arranged in spikes, racemes, or panicles; bracts subtending spikes leaflike or scalelike; bracts subtending spikelets scalelike, very rarely leaflike. Spikelets 1-flowered; scales 0–1. Flowers unisexual; staminate flowers without scales; pistillate flowers with 1 scale with fused margins (perigynium) enclosing flower, open only at apex; perianth absent; stamens 1–3; styles deciduous or variously persistent, linear, 2–3(–4)-fid. Achenes biconvex, plano-convex, or trigonous, rarely 4-angled. x = 10.
Perennial herbs, tufted, rhizomatous or stoloniferous. Stems usually 3-angled and solid, rarely terete and hollow. Leaves tristichous, usually linear, mostly crowded at base of stem and sheathing, sheath closed, with a minute, membranous ligule. Plants usually monoecious, rarely dioecious. Inflorescence a spike, cluster of spikes, or panicle; bracts leaf-like or setaceous. Spikes sessile or pedunculate, unisexual or bisexual, composed of numerous 1-flowered spikelets, each subtended by a glume. Flowers unisexual, perianth 0. Male flower with 3 stamens (rarely 2). Female flower a single pistil enclosed in an utricle; style 1, branched above to 2 or 3 stigmas projecting from utricle. Nut trigonous or biconvex, enclosed within persistent utricle. A genus of 1500-2000 spp. in cold and temperate regions or at high altitudes in the tropics. Native spp. 73, adventive 22.
Perennial grass-like rhizomatous herbs, creeping or tufted. Leaves basal and cauline. Culms usually trigonous; inflorescence of compound or simple, cylindrical spikes, subtended by leaf-like bracts. Spikelets 1-flowered. Glumes spirally arranged. Flowers numerous, unisexual; hypogynous bristles absent. Male flower of 3 stamens. Female flower a single ovary enclosed in a sac-like, persistent utricle, from which the 2 or 3 style branches protrude through an orifice. Nutlet enclosed in utricle.
