Carex fraseriana

Culms 20-40 cm. Leaves strap-shaped, gradually tapered to base that wraps around stem, finely evenly 50-90-veined, 20-60 × 1.7-5 cm, margin finely undulate, base gradually tapered, apex broadly acute-rounded, ciliate-serrulate. Inflorescences a single androgynous spike, 1.4-2.5 × 1.1-1.5 cm; pistillate portion ± globose at maturity. Scales translucent-white. Perigynia white, becoming pale greenish at maturity, ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, ± inflated, circular to flattened in cross section, 4.5-6.7 × 2.2-3 mm, membranaceous; beak short, orifice entire. Stigmas thick, stiff, finely papillose. Achenes dark brown, elliptic to circular or broadly obovate in outline, 2.4-3.2 × 1.6-2.5 mm.

Fruiting early summer (May-Jun). Mesic to wet- mesic, shaded slopes and banks in rich, often rocky deciduous, mixed, or hemlock forests, local, often abundant; 400-1300 m; Ga., Ky., Md., N.C., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Va. W.Va.

Stems at anthesis 1-4 dm, obscurely trigonous, covered at base by the overlapping striate sheaths; blade solitary, pale green, thick or coriaceous, oblong-linear, 2-6 dm נ2-5 cm, obtuse or acute, longitudinally striate; pistillate part of spike globose- ovoid, 1 cm thick at maturity; scales round-ovate, half as long as the perigynia; perigynia white, spreading, elliptic-ovoid, 5-6 mm; staminate part of spike short-cylindric, the scales white. Rich mt. woods; s. Pa., Va., and W.Va. to S.C. and Tenn. (Carex f.; C. fraseri)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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