Peter W. Ball

Carex [unranked] Albae Ascherson & Graebner in P. F. A. Ascherson et al., Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2(2): 156. 1903

Plants cespitose, long-rhizomatous. Culms brown at base. Leaves: basal sheaths not fibrous; sheath fronts membranous; blades V-shaped in cross section when young, threadlike, not more than 1 mm wide, glabrous. Inflorescences racemose, with 3–5 spikes; bracts bladeless, sheathing; lateral spikes pistillate, pedunculate, prophyllate; terminal spikes staminate. Proximal pistillate scales with apex subacute to subobtuse. Perigynia erect, weakly veined on faces, with 2 strong marginal veins, ellipsoid-ovoid, trigonous, base tapering, apex tapering to abrupt beak, glabrous; beak 0.2–0.7 mm, orifice subentire. Stigmas 3. Achenes trigonous, almost as large as bodies of perigynia; style deciduous.

Species 4 (2 in the flora): cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Lower Taxa

• Carex eburnea Boott
• Carex mckittrickensis P. W. Ball