TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual or perennial herb, often rhizomed, often of wet open places, generally monoecious; roots fibrous, hairy
Stem generally 3-sided
Leaves often 3-ranked; sheath generally closed; ligule generally 0; blade (0) various, parallel-veined
Inflorescence: spikelets variously clustered; flowers generally sessile in axil of flower bract
Flower small, generally wind-pollinated; perianth 0 or bristle-like; stamens generally 3, anthers attached at base, 4-chambered; ovary superior, 1-chambered, 1-ovuled, style 23-branched
Fruit: achene, generally 3-sided
Genera in family: ± 110 genera, 3600 species: worldwide, especially temp
Reference: [Tucker 1987 J Arnold Arbor 68:361445]
Difficult: taxa differ in technical characters of inflorescence and fruit.
Perennial, cespitose or from rhizomes, generally monoecious
Stem generally sharply 3-angled, generally solid
Leaves 3-ranked, generally glabrous except generally scabrous on midrib, margin; sheath closed, back (blade side of stem) green, ribbed, front generally thin, translucent, forming generally U-shaped mouth at top
Inflorescence: spikelets generally severalmany, arrayed in raceme, panicle, or head-like cluster, each 1many-flowered, generally subtended by a spikelet bract
Flowers unisexual, each subtended by 1 flower bract; perianth 0
Staminate flower: stamens generally 3
Pistillate flower enclosed by perigynium (sac-like bract); perigynium body 23-sided or round, wall generally delicate; perigynium beak tip open, often notched; style 1, generally deciduous, stigmas 24, exserted
Fruit 24-sided
Etymology: (Latin: cutter, from sharp leaf and stem edges)
Reference: [Standley 1985 Syst Bot Monogr 7:1106]
Fully mature perigynia needed for identification, so are described under "FR" (long-persistent perigynia are often atypical); perigynium "front" faces spikelet axis; "fruit" refers to achene body (excluding beak). "Shredding" lower leaf sheath fronts become a network or fringe of veins; some others shred longitudinally only. Difficult because of many species and minute key characters; longer key statements and descriptions are designed to enhance both ease and probability of correct identification. Group descriptions are assumed in specific descriptions
Horticultural information: Many species especially those with rhizomes are INVASIVE. This is one of the most effective genera for knitting moist or wet soil.
Native |
(Group 6)
Leaf: blade 24 mm wide
Inflorescence: terminal spikelet sometimes pistillate at tip, staminate part 1.83.5 mm wide, lowest non-basal spikelet separate, lateral ones erect to nodding, 35, 725 mm, 3.54.5 mm wide, long-stalked, lower generally from near plant base; lowest spikelet bract >> inflorescence, sheath > 4.5 mm, mouth U-shaped; lower staminate flower bracts 36 mm; pistillate flower bract <, appressed against, falling after fully expanded perigynium, obtuse to awned, red-brown, margin, tip white
Fruit: perigynia generally 1020 per spikelet, ascending to spreading, 2.13.1 mm, 1.21.6 mm wide, ± obovate, stalked, veined but generally not ribbed, when fresh white to gold, ± translucent, fleshy, when dry greenish white or pale gold, sometimes gold at base, generally not squashed, body wide-obovate or -elliptic, base tapered, tip wide, blunt, conspicuously papillate at 10 X , beak < 0.2 mm, tip often red-brown, unnotched; fruit 1.52 mm, 11.5 mm wide, beak < 0.1 mm
Ecology: Wet places
Elevation: < 2700 m.
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, Klamath Ranges, High Sierra Nevada, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, East of Sierra Nevada, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to British Columbia; also in Nevada
Synonyms: C. aurea var. androgyna Olney
See note under C. aurea
Horticultural information: TRY; STBL.