Carex mckittrickensis
| Guadalupe Mountain sedge | |
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| Species: | C. mckittrickensi
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| Binomial name | |
| Carex mckittrickensis P.W. Ball
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Carex mckittrickensis, the Guadalupe Mountain sedge, is a species of sedge endemic to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in western Texas. It occurs on the sides of steep ravines and also in riparian forests.[1][2]
Description
Carex mckittrickensis is an herb up to 35 centimetres (14 in) tall, spreading by means of underground rhizomes. Its stems are round in cross-section, and covered with reddish-brown leaf sheaths toward the base. Its leaves are thread-like, up to 17 cm (6.7 in) long and less than 1 cm (0.39 in) across. Staminate (male) flowering spikes form at the top of the plant, with pistillate (female) spikes in axils of the leaves.[1][3]
Taxonomy
Carex mckittrickensis is very closely related to the widespread Carex eburnea, but differs in the large size of many of its floral parts.[1] It was described in 1998 by Peter W. Ball of the University of Toronto, and named after McKittrick Canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Peter William Ball (1998). "Carex mckittrickensis (Cyperaceae), a new species from western Texas". Novon. 8: 220–224.
- ^ Natura Italiana Gallery[permanent dead link]
- ^ Gardening Europe Archived February 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine