Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
62. Cyperaceae, the Sedge Family
2. Carex L. -- Sedge35. Carex limosa L.
Loosely tufted from long scaly rhizomes; culms sharply trigonous, usually roughened above, 3-5 dm long, exceeding the leaves. Leaves 1-3 mm wide; sheaths hyaline ventrally, shredding into filaments below. Spikes unisexual, the terminal one staminate, 1-3 cm long, the lower 1-3 spikes pistillate, drooping on lax, filiform peduncles 1-3 cm long, ovoid to short-cylindric, 1-2 cm long; scales brown, obtuse to cuspidate, about equaling the perigynia in length and width. Perigynia glaucous-green, elliptic-ovoid, flattened except where distended by the achene, 2.5-4.2 mm long, 1/2 as wide, strongly 2-ribbed with a few more obscure nerves on each side; beak minute, entire; achenes trigonous, ca. 2.2 mm long; stigmas 3. Jun--Jul. Bogs and fens; rare, with records from Bottineau and McHenry counties, ND, and Cherry Co., NE; (Circumboreal, in N.Amer. s to NJ, OH, IA, n NE, MT, ID and CA).
Previous Section -- Carex leptalea Wahl.
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