Cyperaceae taxon details
Carex cyrtostachya Janeway & Zika
1676771 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:1676771)
accepted
Species
terrestrial
Zika, P. F.; Janeway, L. P.; Wilson, B. L.; Ahart, L. (2013). <i>Carex cyrtostachya</i> (Cyperaceae), a new species of sedge endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California. <em>Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.</em> 7(1): 25-35., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54449952#page/33/mode/1up
page(s): 25 [details]
page(s): 25 [details]
Holotype WTU 393304/393305, geounit California
Holotype WTU 393304/393305, geounit California [details]
Description Plants cespitose, with short rhizomes; roots brown, not densely felted with root hairs. Fertile culms (stems) 20-132 cm...
Distribution The range of Carex cyrtostachya is limited to the northern Sierra Nevada foothills and northern high Sierra Nevada...
Etymology Carex cyrtostachya, or arching sedge, is named for its curving or pendulous (cyrto-) pistillate spikes (-stachya).
Description Plants cespitose, with short rhizomes; roots brown, not densely felted with root hairs. Fertile culms (stems) 20-132 cm long, 0.4-2.3 mm wide, trigonous, smooth on the angles; basal sheaths scale-like, bladeless, with pale veins, scabrous-ciliate, dark purple, grading above into red-purple, red-brown, and green sheaths, the upper of these bearing blades. Leaves (2-)3-5, mostly on lower half of culm; sheaths 6-80(-142) mm long, tightly clasping culm, glabrous to scabrous, green, the sheath faces (opposite blade) green to whitish, often dotted with red or purple, glabrous or scabrous, the apex (mouth) U- or V-shaped, ciliate, fragile; ligules 1.1-12.6 mm long, longer than wide, apex acute or acuminate, occasionally rounded, ciliate; blades 0.5-42 cm long, (1.3-)1.5-4.5(-6) mm wide, flat, V- or W-shaped in cross-section, occasionally strongly scabrous on adaxial surface near ligule, otherwise smooth, with 1-3 pale prominent abaxial veins, margins scabrous distally. Vegetative shoots similar to fertile shoots; pseudoculms (overlapping leaf sheaths of vegetative shoots, see Reznicek 1986) 4-6 cm tall, with 3-6 leaves, the larger basal leaves 2.5-5.7 mm wide. Proximal inflorescence bracts with sheaths (2.5-)6-42 mm long, the blades shorter than to exceeding inflorescence, 5.5-25.5 cm long, 0.9-2.5 mm wide, glabrous or slightly ciliate, the distal bracts much reduced. Inflorescences 5-47 cm long, the lateral spikes pistillate, the terminal spike staminate; proximal lateral spikes on peduncles 17-171 mm long, the portion exserted from the sheath 10-114 mm long (rarely the proximal spike branching once from the basal pistillate scale, Janeway 9080 CHSC, Rubtzoff 7088 & Howell CAS); lateral spikes solitary at the nodes, arching, often drooping at maturity on flexible, smooth or slightly scabrous peduncles, the two proximal spikes separated by 2-28 cm, the distal spikes overlapping, on peduncles 5-25 mm long, rarely sessile; terminal spike erect on peduncle 5-26 mm long. Spikes 3-6, the lateral spikes pistillate (very rarely androgynous), cylindrical, 18-93 mm long, 2-5.7 mm thick, with (10-)14-29 perigynia attached 0.7—3.50-6) mm apart, the terminal spike staminate, 10-64 mm long, 1.1-2.3 mm thick, rarely gynecandrous (Rubtzoff 7088 & Howell CAS) and the lower half staminate. Pistillate scales usually shorter than mature perigynia, obovate to oblong-obovate, (2.2-)3-4.8(—6.8) mm long including glabrous or ciliate awn, acute, rounded or notched at apex (apart from awn), glabrous with ciliate or erose margins distally, white-hyaline or faintly marked with red brown, uncommonly red-spotted; awn (0-)0.5-2.2(-3.1) mm long; midrib broad, green, aging brown, with 1-3 veins, rarely with sparse bristles distally. Staminate scales densely overlapping, clasping at base, oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, 4-6.9(-8) mm long, acute, rounded, or notched at apex, hyaline with green midvein, glabrous, the proximal scales with prominent awn 0.5-3(-5) mm long. Anthers 3, 1.8-3 mm long, slightly ciliate at apex (40x). Perigynia erect-ascending or appressed when mature, (3.2-)3.8-5.8 mm long, 1.1-1.8 mm wide, bases gradually narrowed to darker stipes 0.3-0.6 mm long; body ± flattened-trigonous, ± symmetrical in top view, 2-ribbed and finely 12-15-veined, green, aging to brown, occasionally with incon spicuous red or purple dots, membranous, glabrous, gradually tapered to beak; beak (0.5—)0.7-1.4 mm long (measured from inflection point); apical teeth obscure, 0.2-0.6 mm long, often ciliate on or between them. Achenes (nutlets) 1.9-2.7 mm long (not including style remnant or stipe), 1.1-1.6 mm wide, trigonous, stipitate, the distance from the base of the achene body to the base of the perigynium (0.5-)0.7-1.2 mm, achene sides ± flat to slightly concave, obovate to elliptic, ± loosely enclosed by perigynium, pale brown, papillose (40x). Styles withering but ± straight and persisting in the mature perigynia, where easily broken; stigmas 3. [details]
Distribution The range of Carex cyrtostachya is limited to the northern Sierra Nevada foothills and northern high Sierra Nevada...
Distribution The range of Carex cyrtostachya is limited to the northern Sierra Nevada foothills and northern high Sierra Nevada geographic subdivisions (Baldwin et al. 2012), from El Dorado County north to Yuba and Butte counties, California (Fig. 5). Populations of C. cyrtostachya are discontinuous within its range on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, with one cluster of populations in southeastern Butte County and adjacent Yuba County, and the other in El Dorado County. Only 13 populations have been documented, most of them quite small, within an area of 120 x 30 km. No populations have been found in the intervening Placer, Nevada, or Sierra counties. Arching sedge is thus a narrow endemic, restricted to just three counties in California. There are 12 other endemic Carex species in California (Mastrogiuseppe 1993, Zika 2012, Zikaetal. 2012), as well as additional endemic members of the Cyperaceae, such as the recently described Eleocharis torticulmis S.G. Sm., restricted to a small area in the northern high Sierra Nevada of Plumas County (Smith 2001).
[details]
[details]
Etymology Carex cyrtostachya, or arching sedge, is named for its curving or pendulous (cyrto-) pistillate spikes (-stachya).
Etymology Carex cyrtostachya, or arching sedge, is named for its curving or pendulous (cyrto-) pistillate spikes (-stachya).
[details]
[details]
Cyperaceae Working Group. (2025). [see How to cite]. Global Cyperaceae Database. Carex cyrtostachya Janeway & Zika. Accessed at: https://www.cyperaceae.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1676771 on 2026-07-08
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Nomenclature
original description
Zika, P. F.; Janeway, L. P.; Wilson, B. L.; Ahart, L. (2013). <i>Carex cyrtostachya</i> (Cyperaceae), a new species of sedge endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California. <em>Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.</em> 7(1): 25-35., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54449952#page/33/mode/1up
page(s): 25 [details]
page(s): 25 [details]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Holotype WTU 393304/393305, geounit California [details]
From editor or global species database
Additional information Most Carex cyrtostachya populations are small, difficult to locate, and potentially threatened by logging and invasive Rubus. The species should receive some conservation attention. More inventory is needed and systematic census data are lacking, but based on our initial field surveys and observations, and the herbarium records, there may be fewer than 20 populations and 2000 plants in total. A few populations are on land managed by the US Forest Service, in the Plumas and El Dorado National Forests, but other locales are at low elevations on private land and susceptible to development or hydrological changes.[details]
Description Plants cespitose, with short rhizomes; roots brown, not densely felted with root hairs. Fertile culms (stems) 20-132 cm long, 0.4-2.3 mm wide, trigonous, smooth on the angles; basal sheaths scale-like, bladeless, with pale veins, scabrous-ciliate, dark purple, grading above into red-purple, red-brown, and green sheaths, the upper of these bearing blades. Leaves (2-)3-5, mostly on lower half of culm; sheaths 6-80(-142) mm long, tightly clasping culm, glabrous to scabrous, green, the sheath faces (opposite blade) green to whitish, often dotted with red or purple, glabrous or scabrous, the apex (mouth) U- or V-shaped, ciliate, fragile; ligules 1.1-12.6 mm long, longer than wide, apex acute or acuminate, occasionally rounded, ciliate; blades 0.5-42 cm long, (1.3-)1.5-4.5(-6) mm wide, flat, V- or W-shaped in cross-section, occasionally strongly scabrous on adaxial surface near ligule, otherwise smooth, with 1-3 pale prominent abaxial veins, margins scabrous distally. Vegetative shoots similar to fertile shoots; pseudoculms (overlapping leaf sheaths of vegetative shoots, see Reznicek 1986) 4-6 cm tall, with 3-6 leaves, the larger basal leaves 2.5-5.7 mm wide. Proximal inflorescence bracts with sheaths (2.5-)6-42 mm long, the blades shorter than to exceeding inflorescence, 5.5-25.5 cm long, 0.9-2.5 mm wide, glabrous or slightly ciliate, the distal bracts much reduced. Inflorescences 5-47 cm long, the lateral spikes pistillate, the terminal spike staminate; proximal lateral spikes on peduncles 17-171 mm long, the portion exserted from the sheath 10-114 mm long (rarely the proximal spike branching once from the basal pistillate scale, Janeway 9080 CHSC, Rubtzoff 7088 & Howell CAS); lateral spikes solitary at the nodes, arching, often drooping at maturity on flexible, smooth or slightly scabrous peduncles, the two proximal spikes separated by 2-28 cm, the distal spikes overlapping, on peduncles 5-25 mm long, rarely sessile; terminal spike erect on peduncle 5-26 mm long. Spikes 3-6, the lateral spikes pistillate (very rarely androgynous), cylindrical, 18-93 mm long, 2-5.7 mm thick, with (10-)14-29 perigynia attached 0.7—3.50-6) mm apart, the terminal spike staminate, 10-64 mm long, 1.1-2.3 mm thick, rarely gynecandrous (Rubtzoff 7088 & Howell CAS) and the lower half staminate. Pistillate scales usually shorter than mature perigynia, obovate to oblong-obovate, (2.2-)3-4.8(—6.8) mm long including glabrous or ciliate awn, acute, rounded or notched at apex (apart from awn), glabrous with ciliate or erose margins distally, white-hyaline or faintly marked with red brown, uncommonly red-spotted; awn (0-)0.5-2.2(-3.1) mm long; midrib broad, green, aging brown, with 1-3 veins, rarely with sparse bristles distally. Staminate scales densely overlapping, clasping at base, oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, 4-6.9(-8) mm long, acute, rounded, or notched at apex, hyaline with green midvein, glabrous, the proximal scales with prominent awn 0.5-3(-5) mm long. Anthers 3, 1.8-3 mm long, slightly ciliate at apex (40x). Perigynia erect-ascending or appressed when mature, (3.2-)3.8-5.8 mm long, 1.1-1.8 mm wide, bases gradually narrowed to darker stipes 0.3-0.6 mm long; body ± flattened-trigonous, ± symmetrical in top view, 2-ribbed and finely 12-15-veined, green, aging to brown, occasionally with incon spicuous red or purple dots, membranous, glabrous, gradually tapered to beak; beak (0.5—)0.7-1.4 mm long (measured from inflection point); apical teeth obscure, 0.2-0.6 mm long, often ciliate on or between them. Achenes (nutlets) 1.9-2.7 mm long (not including style remnant or stipe), 1.1-1.6 mm wide, trigonous, stipitate, the distance from the base of the achene body to the base of the perigynium (0.5-)0.7-1.2 mm, achene sides ± flat to slightly concave, obovate to elliptic, ± loosely enclosed by perigynium, pale brown, papillose (40x). Styles withering but ± straight and persisting in the mature perigynia, where easily broken; stigmas 3. [details]
Distribution The range of Carex cyrtostachya is limited to the northern Sierra Nevada foothills and northern high Sierra Nevada geographic subdivisions (Baldwin et al. 2012), from El Dorado County north to Yuba and Butte counties, California (Fig. 5). Populations of C. cyrtostachya are discontinuous within its range on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, with one cluster of populations in southeastern Butte County and adjacent Yuba County, and the other in El Dorado County. Only 13 populations have been documented, most of them quite small, within an area of 120 x 30 km. No populations have been found in the intervening Placer, Nevada, or Sierra counties. Arching sedge is thus a narrow endemic, restricted to just three counties in California. There are 12 other endemic Carex species in California (Mastrogiuseppe 1993, Zika 2012, Zikaetal. 2012), as well as additional endemic members of the Cyperaceae, such as the recently described Eleocharis torticulmis S.G. Sm., restricted to a small area in the northern high Sierra Nevada of Plumas County (Smith 2001).
[details]
Ecology Carex cyrtostachya fruits from May through August, depending on elevation and exposure. It ranges from 600-1350 m elevation. According to herbarium labels, the colonies are found over argillite, granodiorite, and (rarely) peridotite bedrock. The sites vary from full sun to shade, in wet meadows, marshes, seasonally wet outcrops, seeps, swales, and riparian margins with saturated soil, as well as floodplain terraces on more mesic soils. [details]
Etymology Carex cyrtostachya, or arching sedge, is named for its curving or pendulous (cyrto-) pistillate spikes (-stachya).
[details]
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (8 publications)
To Field Museum Herbarium (Carex cyrtostachya Janeway & Zika F2312104 isotype 1)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
To Plants of the World Online
To Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Carex cyrtostachya K000501789 type 1)
To US Herbarium (Carex cyrtostachya US3683847 type 1)
To Field Museum Herbarium (Carex cyrtostachya Janeway & Zika F2312104 isotype 1)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI)
To Plants of the World Online
To Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Carex cyrtostachya K000501789 type 1)
To US Herbarium (Carex cyrtostachya US3683847 type 1)
From editor or global species database
Hosted externally
Hosted externally
Hosted externally
