Carex à épis globulaires

Carex canescens Linnaeus var. sphaerostachya Tuckerman, Enum. Caric., 10, 19. 1843; C. brunnescens var. gracilior Britton; C. brunnescens var. sphaerostachya (Tuckerman) Kükenthal; C. buckleyi Dewey; C. canescens var. vitilis (Fries) J. Carey; C. canescens var. vulgaris L. H. Bailey; C. sphaerostachya (Tuckerman) Dewey

Culms ascending to arching, filiform, 30–90 cm. Leaves mid to deep green, (0.5–)1–1.5 mm wide. Inflorescences flexible, 1.5–4(–7) cm; proximal spikes 0.5–2.5 cm apart; terminal spike often clavate. Perigynia (1.5–)2–2.5 × 0.8–1.25 mm. 2n = 56.

Fruiting May–Jul. Damp, temporarily dry areas, thin-peated mires, thickets, woodlands, heaths, rocky slopes; 0–3500 m; St. Pierre and Miquelon; Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que.; Conn., Del., Ga., Ind., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.; Eurasia.

The complete distribution of Carex brunnescens subsp. sphaerostachya is still unclear. See note under subsp. brunnescens.