Peter W. Ball

Carex [unranked] Triquetrae L. H. Bailey, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 127. 1886

Plants densely cespitose, short-rhizomatous. Culms brown at base. Leaves: basal sheaths not or slightly fibrous; sheath fronts dotted purple, membranous; blades M-shaped in cross section when young, adaxial surface with 2 lateral veins more prominent th an midvein, papillose, glabrous. Inflorescences racemose, with 3–4 spikes; proximal bracts leaflike, sheath to 3.5 cm; lateral spikes pistillate or, sometimes, androgynous with few staminate flowers, pedunculate, prophyllate; terminal spikes staminate. Proximal pistillate scales hyaline, green, or brown, apex acute to cuspidate. Perigynia ascending, obscurely veined or distinctly 6-veined , with 2 strong marginal veins, subsessile to sessile, ovate or obovate, trigonous in cross section, base rounded-tapering, apex abruptly contracted to beak, pilose; beak 0.2–0.4 mm, orifice emarginate. Stigmas 3. Achenes trigonous, almost as large as bodies of perigynia; styles deciduous.

Species 1: sw United States, nw Mexico.

Lower Taxon

• Carex triquetra Boott