Carex viridula var. viridula

Basionym: Carex oederi Ehrhart 1791
Synonyms: Carex chlorophila Mackenzie Carex irregularis Schweinitz Carex oederi var. pumila (Michaux) Kükenthal Carex oederi subsp. viridula (Michaux) Hultén Carex oederi var. viridula Carex pulchella (Lönnroth) Lindman Carex scandinavica E. W. Davies Carex serotina Mérat Carex subglobosa Mielichhofer
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 526. Mentioned on page 521, 525.

Culms 2–40 cm. Leaves of flowering stems slightly shorter than to exceeding culms, to 3.1(–4.5) mm wide; ligules of distal cauline leaves usually obsolete. Inflorescences: peduncle of terminal staminate spike 0–20 mm; pistillate spikes 1–8, contiguous or proximal sometimes distant, sessile or short-pedunculate, globose to short-cylindric, 3–8 mm wide; terminal spikes staminate often with pistillate flowers interspersed, sessile or pedunculate, 8–20 × 1–3.3 mm. Perigynia yellow to grayish green, 1.8–3.9 × 0.8–1.6 mm, abruptly narrowed to straight or shallowly angled to 0–15(–25)°, minutely scabrous or smooth beak; beak 0.3–1.3 mm. 2n = 70, 72.


Phenology: Fruiting Jun–Sep.
Habitat: Seasonally moist, open habitats, such as acidic, sandy or organic shorelines, calcareous runnels in limestone barrens, fens
Elevation: 0–3500 m

Distribution

Greenland, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Calif., Colo., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., Utah, Vt., Wash., Wis., Wyo., Europe, montane c Asia (Japan, Sakhalin, Kamchatka).

Discussion

Carex viridula subsp. viridula includes numerous variants, some of which have been treated as distinct species, such as C. serotina and C. scandinavica. The variation patterns are continuous across all of the segregates. Because of its ecologic amplitude, the taxon may occur with other members of the section, and in areas of sympatry hybrids often are formed. Hybrids between C. viridula and other species in the section are sterile hybrids among the subspecies of C. viridula are partially fertile (B. Schmid 1982).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
William J. Crins +
Michaux +
Carex oederi +
Greenland +, St. Pierre and Miquelon +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, Europe +, montane c Asia (Japan +, Sakhalin +  and Kamchatka). +
0–3500 m +
Seasonally moist, open habitats, such as acidic, sandy or organic shorelines, calcareous runnels in limestone barrens, fens +
Fruiting Jun–Sep. +
Fl. Bor.-Amer. +
Illustrated +
Carex chlorophila +, Carex irregularis +, Carex oederi var. pumila +, Carex oederi subsp. viridula +, Carex oederi var. viridula +, Carex pulchella +, Carex scandinavica +, Carex serotina +  and Carex subglobosa +
Carex viridula var. viridula +
Carex viridula +
variety +