Carex rufina, Drejer

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1980, Flora Europaea. Volume 5. Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 319

154. C. rufina Drejer , Revis. Crit. Carie. Bor. 28 (1841).

Laxly caespitose and with short rhizomes. Stems 2-8 cm, procumbent or ascending, curved and concealed by the leaves, trigonous, smooth; basal sheaths greyish- or yellowish-brown. Leaves exceeding stems, 1-1-5 mm wide, pale green. Spikes 3-4(-5), 5-10 mm, oblong-ovoid, dense, sessile or the lowest with a peduncle up to 0-5 cm, all at more or less the same level, the terminal female above and male below (or rarely entirely male), the lateral female; lowest bract usually equalling or exceeding inflorescence. Female glumes slightly shorter than utricles, ovateorbicular, rounded at apex, blackish-purple. Utricles 2-2-5 mm, obovate, pale greenish-brown, purplish-black at apex, scarcely veined, with margin scabrid above. 2« = 60. Snow-patches. Iceland, W. Fennoscandia. Is No Su. (Greenland, C. Canada.) (155-161). C. palaecea group. Usually not caespitose, with creeping rhizomes. Leaves yellowish-or greyish-green. Terminal spike entirely male. Female glumes usually 3-veined, often with an awn. Utricles faintly veined or veinless.

This group consists largely of plants of seashore and estuarine habitats in N. Europe; their taxonomic status is confused. 1 At least the lower spike pendent, with a long, filiform peduncle

2 Female glumes yellowish- to pale reddish-brown, with a serrulate awn 155. paleacea 2 Female glumes dark reddish-brown to purplish-black, without or with an entire awn 156. lyngbyei 1 Spikes erect or drooping, but not pendent

3 At least the lower female glumes at least twice as long as utricles, with a long awn

4 Female glumes strongly papillose on the back, not more than 3 times as long as utricles 157. vacillans 4 Female glumes smooth on the back, up to 5 times as long as utricles 158. recta 3 Female glumes less than twice as long as utricles, awnless or with a short awn

5 Stems 3-5(-20)cm, usually ascending; female spikes 5-10

mm; lowest bract dilated and ± enfolding stem at base

161. subspathacea 5 Stems (5-)10—50(—70) cm, erect; female spikes 15-50 mm;

lowest bract not dilated or sheathing 6 Stems 30-50(-70) cm; female glumes dark brown or dark reddish-brown 159. halophila 6 Stems (5-)10-20(-40) cm; female glumes pale reddishbrown 160. salina