Carex aurea

Nuttall

Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 205. 1818.

Common names: Carex doré
IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 425. Mentioned on page 424, 426.

Culms 5–40 cm. Leaves: blades 3–20 (–30) cm × 1.4–3 mm. Inflorescences: proximal bracts with well-developed blades exceeding inflorescence sheaths 2–4 (–10) mm; lateral spikes with 4–20 perigynia, approximate or proximal distant, lax, 4–20 (–30) × 3–5 mm, middle internodes (0.5–) 0.7–1.5 mm; terminal spike usually staminate, occasionally gynecandrous, sessile or short-pedunculate, 3–10 (–15) × 0.9–2 mm. Pistillate scales brown with paler or green midvein, divergent in mature fruit, ovate to ovate-circular, 1.2–2.5 × 1.1–1.8 mm, apex subacute to obtuse or cuspidate. Proximal staminate scales brown with paler or green midvein and hyaline margins, oblongovate, 2–3.5 (–4) mm, apex obtuse to subacute. Perigynia divergent, bright orange, somewhat inflated and fleshy when mature, circular-obovate, 2.3–3.2 × 1.2–1.8 mm, smooth or minutely papillose. Achenes subcircular, 1.4–1.8 × 1–1.5 mm. 2n = 52.


Phenology: Fruiting summer.
Habitat: Moist, open or shaded habitats, especially meadows and seepage slopes, usually on basic soils
Elevation: 0–3000 m

Distribution

V23 777-distribution-map.jpg

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Calif., Colo., Conn., Idaho, Ind., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.Mex., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., R.I., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wis., Wyo.

Discussion

The orange perigynia of Carex aurea are unique in North American Carex. The color does not develop until the perigynia are fully mature and ready to be shed, hence most herbarium specimens do not show that feature.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"shortened" is not a number.

... more about "Carex aurea"
0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
subcircular +
smaller +
1mm;1.5mm +
shortbeaked +  and beakless +
papillose +
obtuse;subacute +
Peter W. Ball +
Nuttall +
tapering +  and rounded +
Bicolores +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
well-developed +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
v--shaped +
0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
sheathless +  and sheathing +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
ascending +  and appressed +
scale-like +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
Carex doré +
round +  and trigonous +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Idaho +, Ind. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, R.I. +, S.Dak. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Wash. +, Wis. +  and Wyo. +
0–3000 m +
open +, pistillate +  and staminate +
hypogynous +  and subtending +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Moist, open or shaded habitats, especially meadows and seepage slopes, usually on basic soils +
prophyllate +, pedunculate +  and pistillate +
not much longer than wide +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
basal +  and cauline +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
green +  and paler +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
stipitate +  and veined +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
ascending +  and spreading +
papillose +  and smooth +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
Fruiting summer. +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
distant +  and approximate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Gen. N. Amer. Pl. +
papillose +
adventitious +
staminate +  and pistillate +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
basal +  and proximal +
ovate;ovate-circular +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
cylindric +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
deciduous +
2-3(-4)-fid +
Carex aurea +
Carex sect. Bicolores +
species +
short-pedunculate +, sessile +  and staminate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
plant +  and cespitose +