Cyperaceae taxon details
Carex roanensis F.J.Herm.
1676982 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:1676982)
accepted
Species
terrestrial
Hermann, F. J. (1947). A New Species of <i>Carex</i> from Tennessee. <em>Castanea. The Journal of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Club.</em> 12(4): 113-115.
page(s): 113 [details] Available for editors
[request]
page(s): 113 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Holotype US 00087275, geounit Tennessee
Holotype US 00087275, geounit Tennessee [details]
Description Plants cespitose, in small clumps. Culms dark maroon at base; flowering stems 60–85 cm, longer than leaves at maturity,...
Taxonomic remark Carex roanensis, a problematic taxon, has not been recollected from its type locality, although a second collection from...
Description Plants cespitose, in small clumps. Culms dark maroon at base; flowering stems 60–85 cm, longer than leaves at maturity, 0.6–0.7 mm thick, glabrous. Leaves: basal sheaths maroon, bladeless, pubescent; others grading from maroon to green on back with yellowish brown-hyaline front, streaked with dark red and pilose; blades flat, 2.5–4.5 mm wide, pilose on abaxial surface, sparsely so adaxially. Inflorescences: peduncles of lateral spikes slender, 3–40 mm; of terminal spike 5–6 mm, glabrous; proximal bracts equaling or exceeding inflorescences; sheaths to 15 mm or longer; blades 2–3.5 mm wide. Lateral spikes 2–3, 1 per node, well separated, erect to ascending or proximal spikes nodding at maturity, pistillate with 10–40 perigynia attached 1 mm apart distally, 2 mm apart proximally, linear-elongate, 10–70 × 2–3 mm. Terminal spike gynecandrous, 20–55 × 2–3 mm. Pistillate scales hyaline with broad green midrib, oblong-obovate, shorter than mature perigynia, apex mucronate to cuspidate or aristate, awn usually less than 1 mm, glabrous. Perigynia olive-green, conspicuously 5–8-veined, especially on abaxial face, loosely enveloping achene, substipitate, ellipsoid-ovoid, 3–4 × 1.2–1.5 mm, membranous, tapering gradually to acute beakless apex, densely pubescent. Achene distinctly stipitate, 2.5 × 1 mm. [details]
Taxonomic remark Carex roanensis, a problematic taxon, has not been recollected from its type locality, although a second collection from...
Taxonomic remark Carex roanensis, a problematic taxon, has not been recollected from its type locality, although a second collection from Spivey Falls, about 37 km west-southwest of Roan Mountain (J. A. Churchill and K. Wurdack 1986) and several recent collections in Virginia have now been referred to this species (T. F. Wieboldt et al. 1998). Similarities to Carex virescens have been noted by all those who have investigated this species. Carex roanensis may be simply a form of C. virescens with longer-sheathing proximal inflorescence bracts, or possibly a form of C. aestivalis with pubescent perigynia and broader leaves. These characters are variable both among and within populations. However, perigynia are also somewhat larger in C. roanensis, and several puzzling specimens from Virginia and North Carolina that appear to be C. aestivalis with large perigynia further confuse the situation. Further study is required before the status of C. roanensis can be decided. [details]
Cyperaceae Working Group. (2025). [see How to cite]. Global Cyperaceae Database. Carex roanensis F.J.Herm.. Accessed at: https://www.cyperaceae.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1676982 on 2026-06-05
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2024-12-10 11:47:54Z
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Nomenclature
original description
Hermann, F. J. (1947). A New Species of <i>Carex</i> from Tennessee. <em>Castanea. The Journal of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Club.</em> 12(4): 113-115.
page(s): 113 [details] Available for editors [request]
page(s): 113 [details] Available for editors
[request]Other
additional source
Ball, P.W.; Reznicek, A.A.; Murray, D.F. (2002). Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. In: Flora of North America. Vol. 23. Oxford University Press, New York., available online at http://floranorthamerica.org/Cyperaceae [details] Available for editors [request]
[request]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Holotype US 00087275, geounit Tennessee [details]
Isotype DUKE 10000182, geounit Tennessee [details]
From editor or global species database
Description Plants cespitose, in small clumps. Culms dark maroon at base; flowering stems 60–85 cm, longer than leaves at maturity, 0.6–0.7 mm thick, glabrous. Leaves: basal sheaths maroon, bladeless, pubescent; others grading from maroon to green on back with yellowish brown-hyaline front, streaked with dark red and pilose; blades flat, 2.5–4.5 mm wide, pilose on abaxial surface, sparsely so adaxially. Inflorescences: peduncles of lateral spikes slender, 3–40 mm; of terminal spike 5–6 mm, glabrous; proximal bracts equaling or exceeding inflorescences; sheaths to 15 mm or longer; blades 2–3.5 mm wide. Lateral spikes 2–3, 1 per node, well separated, erect to ascending or proximal spikes nodding at maturity, pistillate with 10–40 perigynia attached 1 mm apart distally, 2 mm apart proximally, linear-elongate, 10–70 × 2–3 mm. Terminal spike gynecandrous, 20–55 × 2–3 mm. Pistillate scales hyaline with broad green midrib, oblong-obovate, shorter than mature perigynia, apex mucronate to cuspidate or aristate, awn usually less than 1 mm, glabrous. Perigynia olive-green, conspicuously 5–8-veined, especially on abaxial face, loosely enveloping achene, substipitate, ellipsoid-ovoid, 3–4 × 1.2–1.5 mm, membranous, tapering gradually to acute beakless apex, densely pubescent. Achene distinctly stipitate, 2.5 × 1 mm. [details]Ecology Fruiting early summer. Rich, moist soil under beech trees; of conservation concern. Carex roanensis is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants. [details]
Taxonomic remark Carex roanensis, a problematic taxon, has not been recollected from its type locality, although a second collection from Spivey Falls, about 37 km west-southwest of Roan Mountain (J. A. Churchill and K. Wurdack 1986) and several recent collections in Virginia have now been referred to this species (T. F. Wieboldt et al. 1998). Similarities to Carex virescens have been noted by all those who have investigated this species. Carex roanensis may be simply a form of C. virescens with longer-sheathing proximal inflorescence bracts, or possibly a form of C. aestivalis with pubescent perigynia and broader leaves. These characters are variable both among and within populations. However, perigynia are also somewhat larger in C. roanensis, and several puzzling specimens from Virginia and North Carolina that appear to be C. aestivalis with large perigynia further confuse the situation. Further study is required before the status of C. roanensis can be decided. [details]
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (10 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Carex roanensis)
To GenBank (5 nucleotides; 1 proteins)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
To Plants of the World Online
To US Herbarium (Carex roanensis US2133190 type 1)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Carex roanensis)
To GenBank (5 nucleotides; 1 proteins)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
To Plants of the World Online
To US Herbarium (Carex roanensis US2133190 type 1)
From editor or global species database
Hosted externally
