Carex microdonta

Torrey & Hooker

Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 3: 423. 1836.

IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 442. Mentioned on page 437, 441.

Rhizomes long-creeping. Culms solitary (rarely 2–3 together), 10–56 cm. Leaves light green, cauline blades 5–36 cm × 2.1–5.9 (–8.3) mm, widest leaves 2.8–8.3 mm wide. Inflorescences: peduncle of terminal spike 0.1–9.6 cm (2.6–9.6 cm if staminate spike 1); ligule of proximal bract 1.6–7.4 (–9.4) mm; bracts shorter than to overtopping culms, longest bract blade (per plant) of distal lateral spike 6.2–18 cm. Proximal spikes sometimes staminate at apex, usually arising from proximal 1/2 of culms, (9–) 13–37 × 4.8–7.8 mm. Terminal spike often with 1–3 much smaller staminate spikes near its base, 18–45 mm, separated from distal lateral spike (unless staminate). Pistillate scales triangular, elliptic, or ovate, 1.6–3.6 × 0.8–1.7 mm. Staminate scales with apex acute to awned. Anthers 2.44.6 mm. Perigynia olive green, ovoid to oblong-ovoid, 2.84.2 × 1.4–1.8 mm, 1.9–2.5 times as long as thick; beak 0.30.9 mm, bidentulate, teeth 0.10.3 mm. Achenes 1.9–2.7 × 1.2–1.6 mm. 2n = 64.


Phenology: Fruiting spring–mid summer (Apr–Jul, Jun–Aug in Trans-Pecos, Texas).
Habitat: Open, dry to moist, calcareous substrates, usually in rocky or wet prairies, swales, seeps, and ditches, characteristic of relic patches of blackland prairies, limestone glades, and chalk openings
Elevation: 20–1800 m

Distribution

V23 811-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Ariz., Ark., Fla., Kans., La., Miss., Mo., N.Mex., Okla., Tex.

Discussion

Carex microdonta occurs chiefly in the deep South and on the central and southern Great Plains. Plants are usually larger than those of C. crawei and more vigorously colonial, producing larger vegetative shoots that are more numerous in proportion to fertile ones. Whether or not the two taxa are ecologically distinct is a matter awaiting study.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

".6" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."shortened" is not a number.".9" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.".2" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.".3" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Carex microdonta"
0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> (0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br />) +
trigonous +
smaller +
1.2mm;1.6mm +
acute;awned +
Theodore S. Cochrane +  and Robert F. C. Naczi +
Torrey & Hooker +
rounded +
Granulares +
bidentulate +
m--shaped +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
glumaceous +  and foliaceous +
2-ranked +  and arranged +
6.2 cm62 mm <br />0.062 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
ascending +  and appressed +
scale-like +  and leaflike +
0.59 cm5.9 mm <br />0.0059 m <br /> (0.83 cm8.3 mm <br />0.0083 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (36 cm360 mm <br />0.36 m <br />) +
0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br /> (0.59 cm5.9 mm <br />0.0059 m <br />) +
parallel +  and divergent +
terete +, rolled +  and plicate +
round +  and trigonous +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (56 cm560 mm <br />0.56 m <br />) +
Ala. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Fla. +, Kans. +, La. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.Mex. +, Okla. +  and Tex. +
20–1800 m +
open +, pistillate +  and staminate +
hypogynous +  and subtending +
biconvex +  and trigonous +
Open, dry to moist, calcareous substrates, usually in rocky or wet prairies, swales, seeps, and ditches, characteristic of relic patches of blackland prairies, limestone glades, and chalk openings +
multi-ranked +, 2-ranked +, 3-ranked +  and alternate +
light green +
basal +  and cauline +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.74 cm7.4 mm <br />0.0074 m <br />) +
entire;minutely bidentulate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (9.6 cm96 mm <br />0.096 m <br />) +
with (1-)3-6(-30) bristles and/or scales +
1.9-2.5 times as long as thick +
ascending +  and spreading +
0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
Fruiting spring–mid summer (Apr–Jul, Jun–Aug in Trans-Pecos, Texas). +
2-3(-4)-carpellate +
3 (?) +  and 1 (?) +
long-sheathing +  and leaflike +
short-awned +  and acuminate +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (3.7 cm37 mm <br />0.037 m <br />) +
0.48 cm4.8 mm <br />0.0048 m <br /> (0.78 cm7.8 mm <br />0.0078 m <br />) +
Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York +
adventitious +
staminate +  and pistillate +
basal +  and proximal +
ovate;elliptic;ovate;elliptic;triangular +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br />) +
cylindric +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
smaller +
1 +  and 3 +
septate +, hollow +  and solid +
compressed +, terete +  and trigonous +
papillate +
sessile +  and veined +
rhomboid;broadly ovoid obovoid or subglobose obscurely trigonous +
deciduous +
2-3(-4)-fid +
Carex microdonta +
Carex sect. Granulares +
species +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
plant +, not +  and cespitose +
2.8mm +  and 8.3mm +