Theodore S. Cochrane

Carex sect. Polytrichoideae (Tuckerman) Mackenzie

Plants cespitose, short-rhizomatous. Culms brown at base. Leaves: basal sheaths not fibrous; sheath fronts membranous; blades V-shaped in cross section when young, glabrous. Inflorescence 1 spike per culm; bracts absent; spike androgynous. Proximal pistillate scales less than 10 mm, apex obtuse to acute or short-awned. Perigynia appressed-ascending, weakly veined, substipitate, elliptic to narrowly oblong, rounded- or flattened-trigonous in cross section, base long tapering, apex rounded or truncate, orifice entire or emarginate, glabrous; beak absent. Stigmas 3. Achenes obtusely to sharply trigonous, smaller than bodies of perigynia; style deciduous.

Species 1: North America, West Indies.

Lower Taxon

• Carex leptalea Wahlenberg