Carex lucorum Willd. ex Link, Forest Sedge (Section ACROCYSTIS)
Carex lucorum is a ubiquitous species of the Upper Ottawa Valley. It is dominant in red pine plantations and dry sandy woodlands (it is a significant component of my front lawn). It blooms as soon as the soil thaws and warms (Figure 5). It forms large clonal stands and these stands provide opportunities to find variants since the numbers of specimens with variation is amplified by the clonal reproduction. Two such examples from Renfrew County are shown in Figures 8 and 9. The first example is from a large clonal population with androgynous lateral spikes (Figure 8). A more frequent variant is the presence of a second pistillate spike arising from a thin cauline peduncle near the base of the culm (Figure 9). Carex lucorum has often been confused with Carex pensylvanica but the perigynia of Carex lucorum have beaks that are nearly as long or longer than the perigynia body [Crins and Ball, 1983].
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Figure 1. Achenes, perigynia and scales.
Figure 2. Inflorescence.
Figure 3. B&W scan of specimen showing habit.
Figure 4. Inflorescences in late April.
Figure 5. Inflorescences blooming in late April.
Figure 6. Inflorescences blooming in May.
Figure 7. Inflorescences matured late May.
Figure 8. Form with androgynous lateral spikes.
Figure 9. B&W scan of form with cauline pistillate spike.
Figure 10. Habitat in late summer.
Figure 11. Occurence map for Renfrew County and surrounding area.
| Accession # | Collector | Date |
|---|---|---|
| DAO 671421 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1994-June-01 |
| DAO 671422 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1994-June-01 |
| DAO 671423 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1994-June-01 |
| DAO 671424 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1994-June-01 |
| DAO 671429 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1994-June-01 |
| DAO 671430 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1994-June-01 |
| DAO 671431 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1994-June-01 |
| DAO 671432 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1994-June-01 |
| DAO 669066 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1993-September-22 |
| DAO 668432 | S.E. Carbyn | 1993-July-07 |
| DAO 668433 | S.E. Carbyn | 1993-July-07 |
| DAO 668437 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1993-June-17 |
| DAO 668438 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1993-June-17 |
| DAO 671403 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1993-June-17 |
| DAO 671410 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1993-June-17 |
| DAO 671414 | P.M. Catling & S.E. Carbyn | 1993-June-17 |
| DAO 573880 | K.W. Spicer | 1988-July-14 |
| CAN 520284, DAO 486717 | S.J. Darbyshire | 1985-July-07 |
| CAN 494482 | M.D. Kirk | 1982-May-15 |
| CAN 457069 | S. Darbyshire | 1981-May-31 |
| DAO 659210 | M.I. Moore | 1969-June-16 |
| CAN 569995 | M.I. Moore | 1968-June-05 |
| CAN 569997 | M. Moore | 1966-July-20 |
| DAO 200080 | M.I. Moore | 1964-June-12 |
| CAN 570000 | T.C. Brayshaw | 1962-June-09 |
| CAN 569998 | T.C. Brayshaw | 1960-June-08 |
| CAN 262155 | J.S. Rowe | 1958-June-13 |
| DAO 200164 | A.J. Breitung | 1948-July-26 |
| CAN 570001 | H.H. McKay | 1921-July |
References
Crins, W.J. and Ball, P.W., The Taxonomy of Carex pensylvanica complex (Cyperaceae) in North America, Can. J. Bot., Vol. 61, pp. 1692-1717, 1983.