Glaucous Sedge

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
sorus of Anthracoidea pratensis parasitises live ovary of Carex flacca

Foodplant / saprobe
sporodochium of Arthrinium dematiaceous anamorph of Arthrinium morthieri is saprobic on often dry, bleached, dead leaf of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 6-9

Foodplant / saprobe
sporodochium of Arthrinium dematiaceous anamorph of Arthrinium puccinioides is saprobic on often dry, bleached, dead leaf of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: (1-)3-5(-12)

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed, then exposed apothecium of Eupropolella celata is saprobic on dead, dry leaf of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 9

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed, then exposed apothecium of Hysterostegiella dowardensis is saprobic on dead, dry leaf of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 9

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed, opening by slit apothecium of Lophodermium caricinum is saprobic on dead leaf (mostly near base) of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 5-6

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Microscypha muelleri is saprobic on dead, attached leaf of Carex flacca

Foodplant / saprobe
sessile apothecium of Mollisia humidicola is saprobic on dead sheath of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 1-9

Foodplant / saprobe
thyriothecium of Morenoina minuta is saprobic on dead stem of Carex flacca

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Psilachnum granulosellum is saprobic on dead leaf of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 3-5

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Puccinia urticata var. urticae-flaccae parasitises live Carex flacca

Foodplant / parasite
embedded sorus of Schizonella cocconii parasitises live leaf of Carex flacca

Foodplant / parasite
embedded, linear sorus of Schizonella melanogramma parasitises live leaf of Carex flacca

Plant / grows among
apothecium of Scutellinia paludicola grows among Carex flacca

Plant / grows among
apothecium of Scutellinia trechispora grows among Carex flacca

Foodplant / saprobe
pycnidium of Stagonospora coelomycetous anamorph of Stagonospora vitensis is saprobic on dead sheath of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 5-8

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed apothecium of Stictis elongatispora is saprobic on dead leaf of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 5-8

Foodplant / parasite
elongated sorus of Urocystis fischeri parasitises live, blistered leaf of Carex flacca
Remarks: season: 6-7

Carex flacca occurs throughout Europe, especially on calcium-rich soils. It is sparsely introduced in North America, but appears to be increasing. The species is superficially similar to and may be mistaken in the field for one of the smaller species of sect. Phacocystis.

Culms obtusely trigonous, to 35 cm × 1.5 mm, scabrous distally. Leaves: sheaths with blades, to 2 cm, rough, fronts spotted red-brown apically, ladder-fibrillose, orifice red-brown, slightly prolonged beyond blade and sheath, leathery; blades 35 cm × 3 mm, margins rough; proximal blades blue-green, densely papillose. Inflorescences to 10 cm; peduncle of staminate spike to 2.5 cm; proximal bracts about equaling inflorescences; staminate spikes 1–3; pistillate spikes 2–3, to 4 cm × 4 mm. Scales red-brown with green midrib and hyaline margins, obovate, apex obtuse or with short mucro to 0.3 mm, equaling perigynia and narrower. Anthers to 2.5 mm. Perigynia ascending, green, spotted red-brown on distal 1/2, sessile, 2.2 × 1.4 mm; beak orifice purple-brown, glabrous. Achenes brown, 1.6 × 1.1 mm.

Perennial, 30-45 cm, with long subterranean stolons. Rhizome long, brown to black brown, covered with prominently nerved scales 10-15 mm long. Stem obtusely trigonous to terete, usually papillose and sligthly scabrous above. Leaves c. 1/2 of stem length; sheaths 25-50 mm, strongly nerved, pale brown, sometimes with reddish tint, margin of scarious side concave; ligule up to 0.8 mm, brown; blades 2.5-5 mm wide, flat or slightly revolute, densely papillose below, margins and midvein scabrous towards long-acuminate apex. Inflorescence by 1-3 male spikes above and 1-3 female spikes below. Lowest bract equalling inflorescence, with sheath to 0.5 mm. Male spikes 15-40 mm, light to dark brown; male glumes c. 6 mm, obovate, obtuse. Female spikes 10-30 x 3-6 mm, lax, lower usually pedunclate; female glumes c. 3.7 x 1.2 mm, 3-nerved, brown, from acute to aristate, arista up to 0.5 mm; utricles 2-4 x 1-1.6 mm, ovoid, from smooth to hispid, papillose, brown, beak when present to 0.3 mm, cylindrical, truncate, ostiole with brown margin. Stigmas 3 (or sometimes ? 2). Nut c. 1.5-2.5 x 1-1.5 mm, including c. 0.3 mm style base, trigonous, greyish brown to brown, finely reticulate.

introduced; N.S., Ont., Que.; Mich., N.Y.; Europe; introduced New Zealand.

Distribution: Most of Europe, N.W. Africa, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Caucasus, C. Iran and SW Pakistan. In NW parts of this area the species is represented by subsp. flacca and SE parts by subsp. serrulata.

Fruiting Jul.

Abandoned quarries, ditches, marshes, wet forest edges; 0–800m.

Carex glauca Scopoli

C. glauca Scop., Fl. Carn., ed. 2, 2: 223. 1772.

Carex flacca Schreb. Spic. Fl. Lips. App. 1771
Carex glauca Scop. Fl. Cam. ed. 2. 2: 223. 1772. (Type from Carniola.) "Carex limosa L." Leers, Fl. Herborn. 201. pi. 15, f. 3. 1775. (Plant from Germany.) Carex limosa Leers, Fl. Herborn. 201. 1775. (Plant from Germany.) Carex recurva Huds. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. 413. 1778. (Type from England.) Carex aspera Willd. Fl. Berol. 32. 1787. (Type from Berlin, Germany.) Carex verna y Lam. Encyc. 3: 395. 1791. (Based on C. glauca Scop.) Carex Irachycarpos Link, Jour. Bot. Schrad. 1799=: 310. 1799. (Type from Portugal.) Carex Micheliana Smith, Trans. Linn. Soc. 5: 270. 1800. (Type from Aberdeen, Scotland.) "Carex acuta L." Suter, Fl. Helv. 2: 261. 1802. (Plant from Switzerland.)
Carex nigro-lutea Gaudin, Etr. Fl. 196. 1804; Agrost. Helv. 2 : 196. 1811. (Type from Switzerland.) Carex thuringiaca Willd. Sp. PI. 4: 250. 1805. (Type from Thuringia.) Carex recurva C. aspera Willd. Sp. PI. 4: 299. 1805. (Based on C. aspera Willd.) Carex ambleocarpa Willd. Sp. PI. 4: 307. 1805. (Based on C. Micheliana Smith.) Carex genuensis DC. Cat. PI. Hort. Monsp. 87. 1813. (Type from Genoa, Italy.) Carex glauca C. aspera Poir. in Lam. Encyc. Suppl. 3: 277. 1813. (Based on C. aspera Willd.) Trasus glaucus S. F. Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. PI. 2: 67. 1821. (Based on Carex glauca Scop.) Trasus glaucus var. Michelianus S. F. Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. PI. 2 : 68. 1821. (Based on Carex Micheliana Smith.) Trasus glaucus var. ramosus S. F. Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. PI. 2: 68. 1821. (Type from England.) Carex glauca var. vulgaris Spenner, Fl. Frib. 68. 1825. (Based on C. glauca Scop.) Carex glauca var. oligostachya Spenner, Fl. Frib. 68. 1825. (Type from Germany.) Carex glauca var. gynobasis Spenner, Fl. Frib. 68. 1825. (Type from Germany.) Carex glauca var. erecta Spenner, Fl. Frib. 68. 1825. (Type from Germany.) Carex glauca var. brevistachya Spenner, Fl. Frib. 68. 1825. (Type from Germany.) Carex glauca var. glabra Spenner, Fl. Frib. 68. 1825. (Type from Germany.) Carex glauca var. androgvna Spenner, Fl. Frib. 68. 1825. (Type from Gemany.) Carex stictocarpa Smith, Engl. Fl. 4: 127. 1828. (Type from Scotland.) Carex glauca forma Kunth. Enum. PI. 2: 459. 1837. (Based on C. thuringiaca Willd.) Carex glauca f. typica Drejer, Symb. Car. 20. 1844. (Based on C. glauca Scop.) Carex glauca f. arrecta Drejer, Symb. Car. 20. 1844. (Based on C. ambleocarpa Willd.) Carex glauca f. bulbosa Drejer, Symb. Car. 20. 1844. (Type locality not given.) Carex glauca var. scabra Peterm. Flora 27: 337. 1844. (Type from Germany.)
Carex glauca var. sphaerostachys Lange, Haandb. Danske Fl. ed. 2. 620. 1859. (Type from Denmark.) Carex glauca var. arenosa Schur, Enum. PI. Transsilv. 713. 1866. (Type from Transsylvania.) Carex glauca var. leptostachys Schur, Enum. PI. Transsilv. 713. 1866. (Type from Transsylvania.) Carex glauca var. laxiflora Schur, Enum. PI. Transsilv. 713. 1866. (Type from Transsylvania.) Carex glauca var. ambleocarpa Schur, Enum. PI. Transsilv. 713. 1866. (Based on C. ambleocarpa
Willd.) Carex flacca f. melanostachya Uechtr.; Fiek, Fl. Schles. 486. 1881. (Type from Germany.) Carex glauca var. rotundata Callme, Deuts. Bot. Monats. 6:1. 1888. (Type from Germany.) Carex glauca f. subrolundata Kiikenth. Deuts. Bot. Monats. 8: 107. 1890. (Type from Germany.) Carex flacca var. typica G. Beck, Fl. Nieder-Oesterr. 141. 1890. (Based on C. flacca Schreb.) Carex flacca var. aggregala G. Beck, Fl. Nieder-Oesterr. 141. 1890. (Type from Austria.) Carex flacca var. basigyna G. Beck, Fl. Nieder-Oesterr. 141. 1890. (Type from Austria.) Carex flacca var. pallida G. Beck, Fl. Nieder-Oesterr. 141. 1890. (Type from Austria.)
Carex flacca var. microcarpa G. Beck, Fl. Nieder-Oesterr. 141. 1890. (Type from Austria.)
Carex flacca var. melanocarpa Murr, Oesterr. Bot. Zeits. 41 : 90. 1891. (Type from Austria.)
Carex flacca var. oogyna Murr, Oesterr. Bot. Zeits. 41 : 90. 1891. (Type from Austria.)
Carex hinnidea C. B. Clarke, Symb. Ant. 2: 159. 1900. (Type from Jamaica.)
Carex glauca var. depauperata Hoschede, Bull. Acad. Geogr. Bot. 12: 205. 1903. (Type from
France.) Carex glauca stirps eu-glauca Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2 2 : 135. 1902. (Based on C.
glauca Scop.) Carex glauca var. silvalica Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2 2 : 135. 1902. (Type from central
Europe.) Carex glauca var. typica Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2 2 : 135. 1902. (Based on C. glauca
Scop.) Carex glauca var. typica subvar. pallida Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2-: 135. 1902. (Based
on C. flacca var. pallida G. Beck.) Carex glauca var. typica subvar. melanostachys Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2 2 : 135. 1902.
(Based on C. flacca f. melanostachya Uechtr.) Carex glauca var. typica subvar. thuringiaca Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2 2 : 136. 1902.
(Based on C thuringiaca Willd.) Carex glauca var. Micheliana Asch. & Graebn. Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2 2 : 136. 1902. (Based on C.
Micheliana Smith.) Carex flacca var. chlorocarpa R. Keller, Bull. Herb. Boiss. II. 3: 377. 1903. (Type from southeastern Switzerland.) Carex glauca f. pubicarpa Rohlena, Sitz.-ber. Bohm. Ges. Wiss. 1904 38 : 95. 1905. (Type from
Montenegro.) Carex glauca f. arislolepis Kiikenth.; L. Gross. Mitt. Bad. Bot. Ver. 210/211 : 75. 1906. (Type from
Germany.) Carex glauca f. scabra "Peterm." Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Based on C.
glauca var. scabra Peterm.) Carex glauca f. thuringiaca "Kunth" Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Based on
C. thuringiaca Willd.) Carex glauca f. subrotunda Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Change of spelling
for C. glauca f. subrotundala Kiikenth.) Carex glauca f. leplostachys "Schur" Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Based on
C. glauca var. leptostachya Schur.) Carex glauca f. laxiflora "Schur" Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Based on C.
glauca var. laxiflora Schur.) Carex glauca f. silvatica "Asch. & Graebn." Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909.
(Based on C. glauca var. silvatica Asch. & Graebn.) Carex glauca f. pallida "G. Beck" Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Based on C.
glauca var. pallida G. Beck.) Carex glauca f. flavescens Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Type European.) Carex glauca f. chlorocarpa "R. Keller" Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Based
on C. glauca var. chlorocarpa R. Keller.) Carex glauca f. melanostachya "Uechtr." Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 : 417. 1909. (Based
on C. flacca f. melanostachya Uechtr.) Carex glauca f. Micheliana "Asch. & Graebn." Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenreich 4 20 :417. 1909.
(Based on C. Micheliana Smith.)
Loose cespitose from slender, elongate rootstocks, sending forth long slender horizontal stolons, the culms slender but stiff and erect, phyllopodic, 2-6 dm. high, exceeding the leaves, sharply triangular with flat sides, rough above, reddish-brown at base, leaves with welldeveloped blades 8-15 to a fertile culm, mostly clustered near the base, not septate-nodulose, the blades flat with revolute margins above and keeled below, usually 1-4 dm. long, 2-5 mm. wide, glaucous, thick, spreading, rough-serrulate on margins, the sheaths tight, copper-colored ventrally, concave at mouth, not breaking nor becoming filamentose, the ligule much wider than long; sterile shoots aphyllopodic, the lower sheaths breaking and becoming sparingly filamentose; staminate spikes 1-3, approximate, the uppermost short-peduncled, the lateral sessile, linear, 1.5-4 cm. long, 2-6 mm. wide, the scales oblong-obovate, obtuse, brownishblack with lighter midrib and hyaline margins; pistillate spikes 2 or 3, not aggregated, at first erect, soon more or less nodding on slender, rough peduncles, usually somewhat shorter than the spikes, often staminate at apex, linearor oblong-cylindric, 1-4 cm. long, 5-7 mm. wide, containing 50-100 ascending or at length somewhat spreading perigynia closely packed in several rows; bracts leaflet-like, the lowest equaling or exceeding inflorescence, sub-sheathing and dark-tinged at base; scales ovate-lanceolate, acute, acuminate or often short-mucronate, dark-brown with lighter center and hyaline margins, nearly as wide as and often nearly equaling perigynia; perigynia ovoid-oval or obovoid, suborbicular and slightly triangular in crosssection, 3 mm. long, 1.7 mm. wide, nerveless except the two marginal nerves, granular, sparingly appressed-hispid above, coriaceous, straw-colored or becoming brownish-black, rounded and substipitate at base, rounded at apex, abruptly very minutely beaked, the beak hardly 0.3 mm. long with entire orifice; achenes obovoid, 2.5 mm. long, 1.25 mm. wide, rather closely enveloped, triangular, the angles rounded, the sides rather convex below, brownish-puncticulate, jointed with the very abruptly bent, very short, non-exserted, slender style; stigmas 3, slender.
Type locality: "Ad fossas passim, v. c. loco ab ill. Boehmero indicato," Leipzig, Germany.
Distribution: Naturalized in meadows, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario; St. Croix; Jamaica. Widely distributed in Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. (Specimens examined from Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Jamaica.)

Carex flacca, with common names blue sedge, gray carex, glaucous sedge, or carnation-grass, (syn. Carex glauca), is a species of sedge native to parts of Europe and North Africa. It is frequent in a range of habitats, including grasslands, moorlands, exposed and disturbed soil, and the upper edges of salt marshes. It has naturalized in eastern North America.