Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Carex oxylepis
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
The 2-4 female spikes are on long stalks and arch or droop at maturity, as in C. styloflexa and C. gracillima. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
A distinction is sometimes made between var. oxylepis (with glabrous perigynia) and var. pubescens (with pubescent perigynia). Var. oxylepis is widespread in the Southeast; var. pubescens is more restricted. Read more in Weakley's Flora (2022).
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex oxylepis var. oxylepis
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex oxylepis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23 (2002)
Carex oxylepis
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Carex oxylepis var. oxylepis
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Carex oxylepis var. pubescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Carex oxylepis
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-082:
Carex oxylepis FAMILY Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex oxylepis
COMMON NAME:
Sharp-scaled Sedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_caox_001_lvd
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_carex_oxylepis_1
April Iredell County NC
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_carex_oxylepis_2
April Lincoln County NC
Perigynia coarsely nerved, olive, ellipsoid, beaks short, bidentate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Carex oxylepis
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex oxylepis var. oxylepis
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex oxylepis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23
Carex oxylepis
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Carex oxylepis var. oxylepis
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Carex oxylepis var. pubescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Carex oxylepis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-082:
Carex oxylepis
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex oxylepis
2265
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: Bottomlands, calcareous forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Piedmont, uncommon in Coastal Plain, rare in Mountains
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal? Alternate, 3-ranked?
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Perianth absent
3 stamens
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Inflorescences: spikes (terminal spike gynecandrous; 2-4 lateral pistillate)
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
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".