Carex bigelowii subsp. bigelowii

Common names: Carex de Bigelow
Illustrated
Synonyms: Carex anguillata Drejer Carex concolor R. Brown Carex rigida Goodenough Carex rigida var. bigelowii (Torrey ex Schweinitz) Tuckerman Carex rigida var. concolor (R. Brown) Kükenthal Carex washingtoniana
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 400. Mentioned on page 397.

Plants not cespitose. Proximal pistillate spike loosely flowered, base often attenuate, less often cuneate. Perigynia green, spotted purple-black on apical 1/2, not uniformly black, 1.8–3.5 × 1.1–2 mm; stipe 0.15–0.45 mm, apex acute, sometimes rounded, minutely papillose. 2n = 68–71.


Phenology: Fruiting Aug–Sep.
Habitat: Dry to moist alpine or arctic tundra
Elevation: 0–2000 m

Distribution

V23 719-distribution-map.jpg

Greenland, Man., Nfld. and Labr., N.B., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Sask., Maine, N.H., N.Y., Vt., Europe

Discussion

Carex bigelowii subsp. bigelowii is highly variable in height and shape, stipe length, and color of perigynia. The isolated populations at the southeastern extreme of the range (New York and New England) tend to have larger, more apically acute perigynia than in the northern parts of the range. Although usually distinct from the western subsp. lugens, occasional eastern plants are not distinguishable based on morphology.

The ecology of Carex bigelowii subsp. bigelowii has been extensively studied (K. A. Kershaw 1962; T. V. Callaghan 1976; R. W. Fonda and L. C. Bliss 1966). Chromosome numbers reported for subsp. bigelowii are lower than the number reported for subsp. lugens, and indicate that there may be considerable genetic differentiation between these taxa as suggested by Hultén’s hypothesis that these are the two ends of a circumpolar Rassenkreise.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"shortened" is not a number.

biconvex +
not constricted +
papillose +
rounded;acute +
Lisa A. Standley +, Jacques Cayouette +  and Leo Bruederle +
Torrey ex Schweinitz +
not +  and fibrous +
cuneate +  and attenuate +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
bidentate +  and emarginate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br />) +
m--shaped +  and v--shaped +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
glumaceous +  and foliaceous +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
ascending +  and appressed +
scale-like +  and leaflike +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
Carex de Bigelow +
redbrown +  and brown +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
prophyllate +, subsessile +, pedunculate +  and staminate +
Greenland +, Man. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.B. +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Maine +, N.H. +, N.Y. +, Vt. +  and Europe +
0–2000 m +
open +, pistillate +  and staminate +
hypogynous +  and subtending +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Dry to moist alpine or arctic tundra +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
basal +  and cauline +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
black +, spotted purple-black +  and green +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Fruiting Aug–Sep. +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
flowered +  and pistillate +
Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York +
adventitious +
basal +  and proximal +
2-keeled +
ladder-fibrillose +  and veined +
cylindric +
Illustrated +
staminate +  and pistillate +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
0.015 cm0.15 mm <br />1.5e-4 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.045 cm0.45 mm <br />4.5e-4 m <br /> (?) +
deciduous +
2-3(-4)-fid +
Carex anguillata +, Carex concolor +, Carex rigida +, Carex rigida var. bigelowii +, Carex rigida var. concolor +  and Carex washingtoniana +
Carex bigelowii subsp. bigelowii +
Carex bigelowii +
subspecies +
, +  and staminate +
plant +  and not cespitose +