Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (10/20/20):
Carex laevivaginata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Smooth-sheath Sedge at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex laevivaginata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-016:
Carex laevivaginata FAMILY Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex laevi-vaginata
COMMON NAME:
Smooth-sheath Sedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm220517_7827
May Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm220517_7830
May Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
Beak of the perigynium as long as, or longer than, the body, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
)
JK Marlow jkm220517_7831
May Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
The leaf sheath's thickened cartilaginous summit can be felt by one's finger as a distinct bump, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (10/20/20):
Carex laevivaginata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex laevivaginata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-016:
Carex laevivaginata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT)
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex laevi-vaginata
2267
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: marshes, swamp forests, alluvial forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal? Alternate, 3-ranked?
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Perianth absent
3 stamens
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Inflorescences: spikes w both staminate & pistillate flowers (staminate above)
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Yellowish/ Brownish
Nutlet
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".