Carex melanostachya

M. Bieberstein ex Willdenow

Sp. Pl. 4(1): 299. 1805.

IntroducedIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Mentioned on page 492, 493.

Plants colonial; rhizomes long-creeping. Culms central, slender, trigonous, 25–65 cm, ± scabrous-angled. Leaves: basal sheaths reddish purple, apex of inner band finely ciliate; ligules 0.7–1.9 mm; blades green, M-shaped, not septate-nodulose, 1.6–3.5 (–4) mm wide, smooth abaxially, glabrous or, sometimes, lightly pubescent on apex of inner band of distal sheaths. Inflorescences 6–20 cm; rachis beyond proximal pistillate spikes sharp-angled, finely scabrous; proximal (1–) 2 (–3) spikes pistillate, not or barely overlapping, ascending; distal spikes erect; terminal 1–3 spikes staminate. Pistillate scales ovate, apex acute to acuminate-awned, glabrous, scabrous-ciliate apically. Perigynia ascending, ca. 14–18-veined near base, veins impressed, broadly ovoid, (4–) 4.5–6.5 × 1.9–3.5 mm, dull, glabrous; beak 0.9–1.3 mm, bidentulate, teeth straight, 0.5–0.8 mm.


Phenology: Fruiting May–Jun.
Habitat: Ruderal in moist to wet roadside ditches and waste areas
Elevation: 100–300 m

Distribution

V23 919-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Kans., Nebr., Okla., Eurasia

Discussion

Carex melanostachya is a rare introduction from Eurasia, first discovered in the flora in Kansas in 1964 (R. L. McGregor et al. 1972). A previous report, as C. nutans Host, from the Montreal area is based on sterile specimens suspected to be of hybrid origin (J. Cayouette and P. M. Catling 1992). A similar taxon, C. songorica subsp. gotoi (Ohwi) Popov [C. gotoi Ohwi] was found once as a waif in Yonkers, New York, in 1895. It differs from C. melanostachya in having perigynia that are shorter, only 3–4 mm, shiny, purplish, and have raised veins.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"lengthofbody" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."shortened" is not a number.

... more about "Carex melanostachya"
trigonous +
smaller +
scabrous-ciliate +  and ciliate +
acute;acuminate-awned +
A. A. Reznicek +  and Paul M. Catling +
M. Bieberstein ex Willdenow +
rounded +
bidentulate +
straight +
emarginate +  and bidentate +
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br />) +
pubescent +, , +  and glabrous +
not septate-nodulose +  and m--shaped +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
glumaceous +  and foliaceous +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
ascending +  and appressed +
scale-like +  and leaflike +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
involute +  and channeled +
red tinged +
scabrous-angled +  and trigonous +
slender +
25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br /> (65 cm650 mm <br />0.65 m <br />) +
with awn +  and acuminate +
Kans. +, Nebr. +, Okla. +  and Eurasia +
100–300 m +
open +, pistillate +  and staminate +
hypogynous +  and subtending +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Ruderal in moist to wet roadside ditches and waste areas +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
staminate +, prophyllate +, pedunculate +  and pistillate +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
basal +  and cauline +
pubescent;,;glabrous +
septate-nodulose +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br />) +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br />) +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
Fruiting May–Jun. +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
adventitious +
basal +  and proximal +
ladder-fibrillose +
shorter or longer +
septate-nodulose +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
staminate +  and pistillate +
overlapping +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-3(-4)-fid +
Carex melanostachya +
Carex sect. Paludosae +
species +
straight +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (?) +
plant +  and colonial +