Cyperaceae taxon details
Carex steyermarkii Standl.
1676069 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:1676069)
accepted
Species
terrestrial
Standley, P. C.; Steyermark, J. A. (1947). Studies of Central American Plants—VII. In: Field Museum of Natural History (ed.). Publications of the Field Museum of Natural History. Botanical Series. Vol. 23(5): 195-265., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2389147#page/11/mode/1up
page(s): 196 [details]
page(s): 196 [details]
Holotype F 0361340, geounit Guatemala
Holotype F 0361340, geounit Guatemala [details]
Description Plants loosely cespitose, with short-creeping rhizomes; roots yellowish brown, felted with yellow root hairs when young;...
Description Cespitosas, sin rizomas reptantes. Tallos 50-100 cm, robustos, obtusamente trígonos, lisos; vainas basales rojizas. Hojas...
Description Plants loosely cespitose, with short-creeping rhizomes; roots yellowish brown, felted with yellow root hairs when young; fertile culms 55-135 cm tall, trigonous, smooth, with glabrous, reddish purple, bladeless basal sheaths. Leaves 3-11, mostly basal; blades 25-65 cm long, 11-25.5 mm wide, plicate or flat, glabrous, the margins smooth except near apex, where antrorsely scabrous, the widest leaves 13-25.5 mm wide; leaf sheaths 6-10 cm long, loosely enveloping culms, glabrous, purple-tinged near base; inner band of sheaths glabrous, purple-tinged near base, hyaline and purple-dotted above, the apex friable and deeply concave; ligules 7-29 mm long, rounded to acute, the free portion conspicuous, purple-tinged. Vegetative shoots unknown. Inflorescences 45-85 cm long, with the upper spikes strongly overlapping and the lowest two spikes 20-28 cm distant; spikes single at nodes, with all but the upper pendulous on filiform, flexuous, smooth peduncles; lowermost spikes with peduncles 13-30 cm long, the uppermost lateral spikes sessile or with peduncles to 1.8 cm long; lowermost bracts with blades 17.5-29.5 cm long and 7-13.5 mm wide and sheaths 5.6-9.4 cm long, green, purple-tinged at base, the uppermost bracts much reduced. Spikes 8-14, androgynous or the lowermost rarely pistillate. Terminal spikes ca. 4.8-5.4 cm long; staminate portion ca. 1.7-2.1 cm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, ca. 30-45-flowered; pistillate portion ca. 2.7-3.7 cm long, 5-7.5 mm wide, ca. 20-60-flowered; peduncles ca. 3-6 mm long. Lateral spikes (1.2-)2-9.6 cm long, the lower 5-8(-12) spikes compound, with secondary spikes up to 7, androgynous or pistillate, up to 5.1 cm long, occasionally with single tertiary spikes up to 1.2 cm long; staminate portion of lateral spikes (0-)0.3-2.2 cm long, (0-)2-55-flowered; pistillate portion of lateral spikes (1.2-)1.8-6.1 cm long, (8-)15-80-flowered. Pistillate scales 2.6-4.9(-5.9) mm long, 1.4-2.2 mm wide, oblong to obovate, truncate to obtuse, with a scabrous-ciliate awn 0.4-1.8(-2.4) mm long, reddish purple with green center, 3-veined. Staminate scales 3.5-5.7 mm long, 1.2-1.7 mm wide, elliptic to narrowly obovate, truncate to obtuse, with a scabrous-ciliate awn 0.3-1.2 mm long, stramineous to pale reddish purple with green center, 3(-7)-veined. Perigynia 2.9-4.4 mm long, 0.9-1.3 mm wide, spreading and outcurved, trigonous with flat to slightly convex, lanceolate sides, green, suffused with purple, glabrous, short stipitate, 9-21-veined, gradually tapering to apex, the apex truncate or obscurely bidentulate with teeth up to 0.3 mm long. Achene 1.9-2.6 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, trigonous with concave, oblong to obovate sides, tightly enveloped by the perigynium, brown, short-stipitate. Styles withering; stigmas 3. Anthers 3, 2.2-3.5 mm long. [details]
Description Cespitosas, sin rizomas reptantes. Tallos 50-100 cm, robustos, obtusamente trígonos, lisos; vainas basales rojizas. Hojas...
Description Cespitosas, sin rizomas reptantes. Tallos 50-100 cm, robustos, obtusamente trígonos, lisos; vainas basales rojizas. Hojas mucho más cortas que los tallos, las más anchas 15-25 mm de ancho, aplanadas, verde oscuro, conspicuamente dilatadas y envainantes en la base; lígula 7-20 mm, más ancha que larga. Espigas numerosas, agregadas y péndulas en panículas en pedúnculos filiformes, largos, las inferiores compuestas, todas estaminadas en el ápice y pistiladas abajo, las más grandes 40-60 x 7-9 mm; bráctea más baja más corta que la panícula, foliiforme, con una vaina hasta 10 cm. Glumas pistiladas casi tan largas como los utrículos, ovado-lanceoladas, agudas o mucronatas, pardo-verdoso pálido. Utrículos 3.5-4.5 mm, elipsoide-lanceolados, pardo pálido, glabros, marcadamente nervados, angostándose gradualmente en un rostro, el rostro inconspicuo, emarginado, liso. Estigmas 3. [details]
Cyperaceae Working Group. (2025). [see How to cite]. Global Cyperaceae Database. Carex steyermarkii Standl.. Accessed at: https://www.cyperaceae.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1676069 on 2026-07-02
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Nomenclature
original description
Standley, P. C.; Steyermark, J. A. (1947). Studies of Central American Plants—VII. In: Field Museum of Natural History (ed.). Publications of the Field Museum of Natural History. Botanical Series. Vol. 23(5): 195-265., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2389147#page/11/mode/1up
page(s): 196 [details]
page(s): 196 [details]
Other
additional source
Chater, A. O. (1994). <i>Carex</i> L. In: G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez & A. O. Chater (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Vol. 6: Alismataceae a Cyperaceae, 464-473., available online at https://legacy.tropicos.org/Project/FM
page(s): 471 [details]
additional source Hermann, F. J. (1974). Manual of the genus <i>Carex</i> in Mexico and Central America. IV, pp. 219 p. Forest Service, U.S.Dept. Agric., Washington.
page(s): 142 [details] Available for editors
[request]
additional source Reznicek, A. A. (1986). The Taxonomy of <i>Carex</i> sect. <i>Hymenochlaenae</i> (Cyperaceae) in Mexico and Central America. <em>Systematic Botany.</em> 11(1): 56-87., available online at https://doi.org/10.2307/2418947
page(s): 72 [details] Available for editors [request]
page(s): 471 [details]
additional source Hermann, F. J. (1974). Manual of the genus <i>Carex</i> in Mexico and Central America. IV, pp. 219 p. Forest Service, U.S.Dept. Agric., Washington.
page(s): 142 [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Reznicek, A. A. (1986). The Taxonomy of <i>Carex</i> sect. <i>Hymenochlaenae</i> (Cyperaceae) in Mexico and Central America. <em>Systematic Botany.</em> 11(1): 56-87., available online at https://doi.org/10.2307/2418947
page(s): 72 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Holotype F 0361340, geounit Guatemala [details]
From editor or global species database
Comparison With leaves up to 25.5 mm wide, this species is the broadest-leaved Carex in tropical America. In the New World, only the eastern North American C. albursina Sheldon, C. plantaginea Lam., and C. platyphylla J. Carey in sect. Careyanae Kük. have wider leaves (those of C. albursina up to 52 mm wide). Carex steyermarkii is a conspicuous, large species, and since only two collections are known, it is likely quite rare. [details]Description Plants loosely cespitose, with short-creeping rhizomes; roots yellowish brown, felted with yellow root hairs when young; fertile culms 55-135 cm tall, trigonous, smooth, with glabrous, reddish purple, bladeless basal sheaths. Leaves 3-11, mostly basal; blades 25-65 cm long, 11-25.5 mm wide, plicate or flat, glabrous, the margins smooth except near apex, where antrorsely scabrous, the widest leaves 13-25.5 mm wide; leaf sheaths 6-10 cm long, loosely enveloping culms, glabrous, purple-tinged near base; inner band of sheaths glabrous, purple-tinged near base, hyaline and purple-dotted above, the apex friable and deeply concave; ligules 7-29 mm long, rounded to acute, the free portion conspicuous, purple-tinged. Vegetative shoots unknown. Inflorescences 45-85 cm long, with the upper spikes strongly overlapping and the lowest two spikes 20-28 cm distant; spikes single at nodes, with all but the upper pendulous on filiform, flexuous, smooth peduncles; lowermost spikes with peduncles 13-30 cm long, the uppermost lateral spikes sessile or with peduncles to 1.8 cm long; lowermost bracts with blades 17.5-29.5 cm long and 7-13.5 mm wide and sheaths 5.6-9.4 cm long, green, purple-tinged at base, the uppermost bracts much reduced. Spikes 8-14, androgynous or the lowermost rarely pistillate. Terminal spikes ca. 4.8-5.4 cm long; staminate portion ca. 1.7-2.1 cm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, ca. 30-45-flowered; pistillate portion ca. 2.7-3.7 cm long, 5-7.5 mm wide, ca. 20-60-flowered; peduncles ca. 3-6 mm long. Lateral spikes (1.2-)2-9.6 cm long, the lower 5-8(-12) spikes compound, with secondary spikes up to 7, androgynous or pistillate, up to 5.1 cm long, occasionally with single tertiary spikes up to 1.2 cm long; staminate portion of lateral spikes (0-)0.3-2.2 cm long, (0-)2-55-flowered; pistillate portion of lateral spikes (1.2-)1.8-6.1 cm long, (8-)15-80-flowered. Pistillate scales 2.6-4.9(-5.9) mm long, 1.4-2.2 mm wide, oblong to obovate, truncate to obtuse, with a scabrous-ciliate awn 0.4-1.8(-2.4) mm long, reddish purple with green center, 3-veined. Staminate scales 3.5-5.7 mm long, 1.2-1.7 mm wide, elliptic to narrowly obovate, truncate to obtuse, with a scabrous-ciliate awn 0.3-1.2 mm long, stramineous to pale reddish purple with green center, 3(-7)-veined. Perigynia 2.9-4.4 mm long, 0.9-1.3 mm wide, spreading and outcurved, trigonous with flat to slightly convex, lanceolate sides, green, suffused with purple, glabrous, short stipitate, 9-21-veined, gradually tapering to apex, the apex truncate or obscurely bidentulate with teeth up to 0.3 mm long. Achene 1.9-2.6 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, trigonous with concave, oblong to obovate sides, tightly enveloped by the perigynium, brown, short-stipitate. Styles withering; stigmas 3. Anthers 3, 2.2-3.5 mm long. [details]
Description Cespitosas, sin rizomas reptantes. Tallos 50-100 cm, robustos, obtusamente trígonos, lisos; vainas basales rojizas. Hojas mucho más cortas que los tallos, las más anchas 15-25 mm de ancho, aplanadas, verde oscuro, conspicuamente dilatadas y envainantes en la base; lígula 7-20 mm, más ancha que larga. Espigas numerosas, agregadas y péndulas en panículas en pedúnculos filiformes, largos, las inferiores compuestas, todas estaminadas en el ápice y pistiladas abajo, las más grandes 40-60 x 7-9 mm; bráctea más baja más corta que la panícula, foliiforme, con una vaina hasta 10 cm. Glumas pistiladas casi tan largas como los utrículos, ovado-lanceoladas, agudas o mucronatas, pardo-verdoso pálido. Utrículos 3.5-4.5 mm, elipsoide-lanceolados, pardo pálido, glabros, marcadamente nervados, angostándose gradualmente en un rostro, el rostro inconspicuo, emarginado, liso. Estigmas 3. [details]
Ecology Carex steyermarkii is a forest species of Chiapas and western Guatemala, occurring from 1600–2600 m. Mature fruit has been collected in April. [details]
Habitat Laderas arboladas. [details]
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (3 publications)
To Field Museum Herbarium (Carex steyermarkii Standl. F1129096 holotype 1)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
To Plants of the World Online
To Field Museum Herbarium (Carex steyermarkii Standl. F1129096 holotype 1)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
To Plants of the World Online
From editor or global species database
Hosted externally
