Carex lenticulaire

Carex lenticularis var. albimontana Dewey; C. lenticularis var. blakei Dewey; C. lenticularis var. eucycla Fernald & Wiegand; C. lenticularis var. merens Howe

Culms 8–60 cm. Leaf blades 1.5–3.5 mm wide. Inflorescences: peduncle of proximal spike 1 cm or longer; proximal bract white at base, 2–3.5 mm wide. Spikes: proximal 3–7 spikes pistillate, 1.2–6 cm × 2–4 mm,; terminal spike usually staminate. Pistillate scales pale brown or red-brown. Perigynia (3–)5–7-veined on each face, ellipsoid or ovoid, 1.7–3.2 × 1–1.6 mm; stipe to 0.1–0.25 mm; beak green or pale brown, 0.1–0.2 mm. 2n = 86–88.

Fruiting Jul–Aug. Seasonally flooded river and lakeshores; 0–1500 m; St. Pierre and Miquelon; Alta., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask.; Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.Y., Vt., Wis.

Carex lenticularis var. lenticularis is a common shoreline species of ponds and streams in eastern North America. It can usually be distinguished from the common western taxon, var. lipocarpa, by the pale red-brown scales and lack of pigmentation on the perigynia as well as the shorter stipe; some high elevation and high latitude populations have pigmentation patterns similar to the western taxa.