Carex microglochin Wahlenb.
In K. Vet. Acad. Nya Handl. Stockholm 24: 140. 1803.
Nomenclatural section used by Flora of North America project subgenus Carex, sect. Leucoglochin Dumortier
Uncina microglochin Spreng.
Plants with single unbranched stems, or with stems in loose clusters; less than 15 cm high (in Arctic Islands); 4–15 cm high (-35 cm further south). Roots pallid-brown. Ground level or underground stems horizontal; stoloniferous; compact. Scales present. Aerial stems erect; filiform (0.5–0.7 mm in diameter. Porsild, 1957); circular or oval in cross section; glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Sheaths brown, or reddish. Ligules present. Blades straight; linear; involute (to semi-circular); glabrous. Blades adaxial surface glabrous.
Flowering stems conspicuously taller than the leaves. Leaf or reduced bract closely associated with the base of the inflorescence absent. Inflorescence spicate; 1–1.5 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; a single spike (few flowered). Individual spike(s) erect. Terminal spike staminate at the apex. Cladoprophyll present at the base of the peduncle of lateral spikes. Staminate flowers conspicuous (as a small tuft). Floral scales shorter than the perigynium in fruit; orange brown; with margins, and sometimes mid-vein paler in colour than the adjacent area of the scale; reflexed; ovate; falling early; 2.8–3.2 mm long; 1.8–2.2 mm wide; glabrous. Perianth absent. Anthers 1.8–2.2 mm long. Styles slender, not extending beyond the beak. Stigmas per style 3. Fruit surrounded by a perigynium. Perigynia fused to the apex except for a small aperture through which the style protrudes; lanceolate (subulate); 5–6 mm long; 0.5–0.8 mm wide; sessile; reflexed; straw-coloured, or golden brown; surface dull; glabrous; faintly nerved; apices beaked with a long beak (from which a stiff, bristle-like rachilla projects beyond the stigmas). Achenes not filling the upper part of the perigynia; lenticular.
Chromosome information. 2n = 48, 56, and 58.
Distribution. Circumpolar. Low arctic. Range in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago limited. Rare. Arctic Islands: Victoria (Holmen; Porsild (1957) mapped one occupancy in Forbisher Bay on Baffin Island for which there is no CAN specimen).
Ecology and habitat. Substrate river terraces (and deltas), slopes, around the margins of ponds; imperfectly drained, or on seepage slopes; calcareous; sand, silt, till (on talus slopes). Found in springy areas and on wet sand along rivers.
Notes. Since Porsild (1957), one specimen (CAN 485156) was collected at Victoria Island, Holman which is a considerable range extension.
Reznicek (1990) illustrated the rachilla of C. microglochin and noted that it is very large, but only one-veined. It is terete and smooth and surrounding the single central vascular strand is a thick layer of spongy parenchyma, making the rachilla a relatively soft, more or less easily bent structure. It is a striking contrast to the rachillas in other species that he studied.
Illustrations. • Herbarium specimen. Herbarium specimen. Unispicate inflorescence with few flowers. Spikes with reflexed perigynia at the base. Victoria Island. CAN 485305. • Arctic Island distribution.
Cite this publication as: Aiken, S.G., Boles, R.L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 1999 onwards. ‘Cyperaceae of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval.’ Version: 6th November 2000. http://http://www.mun.ca/biology/delta/arcticf/. Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993, 1995, 2000) should also be cited (see References).
