| Cyperaceae |
|---|
Carex diluta BIEB. |
Carex L. |
| C. diluta Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Cauc. 2:388 (1808). Syn: C. aitchisoniiBöck-eler in Flora 63:456 (1880)! C. fissirostris sensu Boiss., Fl. Or. 5:427 (1884) non J. Ball(1875); C. karelini Meinsh. in Acta HortiPetrop. 18(3):380(1901)! Ic: Fl. URSS 3: t. 21 f. 8 & 9 (1935), f. 9 as C. karelini;Gxossh., Fl. Kavk. ed. 2,2: t. 8f. 9 (1940); Acta Bot. Neerl. 17:244, f. 2D (1968). Map 27.
Resembling C. distans but leaves distinctly scabrid-margined in upper half, glaucous to pale yellowish-green; basal sheaths greyish-brown;male spike 1-2 (-3) cm, with pale brown glumes, often with a few female flowers at base; female spikes ovoid to shortly cylindrical, upper 1 (sessile) to 3 often approx-imate and 1 usually very near male spike;lowest bract as long as or somewhat longer than inflorescence; utricles pale yellowish-to greyish-green, 2.9-4 mm, rather gradually tapering into emarginate or shallowly bifid, often smooth beak to c. 0.8 mm. Saline meadows, steppe, 20-2000 m. Type: [Caucasia] in Iberia graminosis, D. Steuen [sic] (holo. LE, iso. H!). Inner Anatolia. A7 Gümüşane: Manastir, Elmadere, Sint. 1894:7603! A8 Erzurum: Ispir, 1300 m, Barclay 847! B4 Ankara: Beynam, 200 m above Ankara, D. 13058! B6 Maraş: Elbistan, 1200 m, D. 27690! B9 Bitlis: Bitlis valley, 6 km S. of Bitlis, 1500 m, Frödin 1939:63! Van: Erçek G., 2000 m, Rix 291! C5 Adana: 10 km from Seyhan to Misis, 20 m, D. 42246! C6 Urfa: 10 km N.W. of Birecik, 550 m, Sorger 80-8-18! S. & southern C. Russia, Crimea, S. Siberia, Caucasia, Iran, N. Iraq, Afghan-istan, W. Pakistan, Transcaspia, C. & E. Asia; because of confusion with C. distans the distribution must be regarded as tentative, Ir.-Tur. element. Above are only listed those specimens which represent verified C. diluta. Forms trans-itional to C. distans are discussed under that species. Typical C. diluta only occurs in the E.; in other areas some introgressive influence from C. distans can usually be traced. The most reliable characters to separate the two taxa seem to be the arrangement of the female spikes and the length and scabridity of the utricle beak. |