Biology:Carex eburnea

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Short description: Species of grass-like plant

Carex eburnea

Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Carex
Subgenus: Carex subg. Carex
Section: Carex sect. Albae
Species:
C. eburnea
Binomial name
Carex eburnea
Boott

Carex eburnea, known as ivory sedge,[1] ebony sedge,[2] and bristleleaf or bristle-leaved sedge,[3][4][5] is a small and slender sedge native to North America, from Alaska and Newfoundland south to central Mexico (San Luis Potosí and Querétaro).[6]

Description

illustration

Ivory sedge is a clump-forming sedge that spreads gradually by slender, light brown rhizomes to form colonies.[1] It has narrow leaves, 0.2 to 1 mm (0.008 to 0.039 in) wide and 3 to 21 cm (1 to 8 in) long, that grow from the base of the plant and alternately on the culms (stems). The culms are longer than the leaves, 7 to 31 cm (2 3⁄4 to 12 1⁄4 in) long.[7] The bases of the leaves and culms are wrapped in a light brown sheath. The leaves dry up after the growing season and persist at least until the next spring. [1]

Each inflorescence (flower cluster), at the end of a culm, has one staminate (male) spike above two to three pistillate (female) spikes, each enclosed at the base by a tubular bract.[1] There are 3 to 10 florets in each pistillate spike. The scales under the florets are white and translucent.

Pollinated florets produce three-sided[1] seeds (achenes) that are glossy blackish-brown when ripe, 1.5–2.2 mm (0.059–0.087 in) long by 0.7–1.1 mm (0.028–0.043 in) wide.[5] The stem of the inflorescence and the stems of the pistillate spikes are very short at blooming time, but lengthen a great deal by the time the seed matures, so that the clusters of achenes overtop the withered staminate spike and the stem is always longer than the leaves.[1]

Distribution and habitat

Ivory sedge usually grows in coniferous or mixed woodlands, sometimes in fens, stable dunes, or alvar (shallow soil above limestone).[7] It prefers sandy or gravelly soil with a neutral to alkaline pH.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Chayka, Katy; Dziuk, Peter (2016), Carex eburnea (Ivory Sedge), https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/ivory-sedge 
  2. ↑ Weakley, Alan S. (2018), Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States, working draft of 20 August 2018, University of North Carolina Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
  3. ↑ "Carex eburnea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=caeb2. Retrieved 26 August 2016. 
  4. ↑ Carex eburnea, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin, http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAEB2, retrieved 26 August 2016 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Carex eburnea (bristle-leaved sedge)", Go Botany (New England Wildflower Society), https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/Carex/eburnea/ 
  6. ↑ {{citation | mode = cs1 | title = Carex eburnea | work = Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) | url = | publisher = [[Organization:Agricultural Research ServAgricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | access-date = 2018-08-01 }}
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ball, Peter W. (2002), "Carex eburnea", in Flora of North America Editorial Committee, Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA), 23, New York and Oxford, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242357168 

Wikidata ☰ Q15569927 entry