Carex radiata
 
Eastern Star Sedge

Terminal Spike

4.1 km North of Intersection of Highways 980 and 981,
East Side of Road
31-May-2016

Note there are pistillate flowers at the base of the spike and staminate flowers at the apex, making the spike androgynous. This is opposite the arrangement found in Section Glareosae.

I believe this is the first occurrence of this species in Saskatchewan.  My friend Dave Biggs of Hudson Bay and I discovered this specimen while looking for some uncommon violets that Dave had observed in the same area on previous years.  The location is forested, heavily shaded, and seasonally wet at the base of the Porcupine Hills.

This species is a member of section Phaestoglochin. The following characteristics are sufficient to distinguish C. radiata from all other Saskatchewan Carex species:

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Two stigmas

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More than two spikes

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Cespitose habit

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Spikes all androgynous.  This distinguishes this species from members of Section Glareosae because all members of Glareosae have gynecandrous spikes.

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Proximal spikes very remote, internode distance equal to multiple spike lengths.

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Length of lowest spike bract ranging to more than 5 cm.

This is a species of the eastern United States.  The Flora of North America states that this species is found in Manitoba but not Saskatchewan.