| Carex mckittrickensis | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
 Critically Imperiled (NatureServe) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Genus: | Carex |
| Subgenus: | Carex subg. Carex |
| Section: | Carex sect. Albae |
| Species: | C. mckittrickensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Carex mckittrickensis P.W.Ball | |
Carex mckittrickensis, the Guadalupe Mountain sedge, is a species of sedge endemic to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in western Texas. It occurs on the sides of steep ravines and also in riparian forests.
Description
Carex mckittrickensis is an herb up to 35 centimetres (14 in) tall, spreading by means of underground rhizomes. Its stems are round in cross-section and covered with reddish-brown leaf sheaths toward the base. Its leaves are thread-like, up to 17 cm (6.7 in) long and less than 1 cm (0.39 in) across. Staminate (male) flowering spikes form at the top of the plant, with pistillate (female) spikes in axils of the leaves.
Taxonomy
Carex mckittrickensis is very closely related to the widespread Carex eburnea, but differs in the large size of many of its floral parts. It was described in 1998 by Peter W. Ball of the University of Toronto, and named after McKittrick Canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
References
- "NatureServe Explorer Carex mckittrickensis". NatureServe Explorer Carex mckittrickensis. Arlington Virginia, United States of America: NatureServe. 2022-06-03. NatureServe Element Code:PMCYP03LB0. Retrieved 23 Jun 2022.
- Faber-Langendoen, D; Nichols, J; Master, L; Snow, K; Tomaino, A; Bittman, R; Hammerson, G; Heidel, B; Ramsay, L; Teucher, A; Young, B (2012). NatureServe Conservation Status Assessments: Methodology for Assigning Ranks (PDF) (Report). Arlington, Virginia, United States of America: NatureServe.
- ^ Peter William Ball (1998). "Carex mckittrickensis (Cyperaceae), a new species from western Texas". Novon. 8 (3): 220–224. doi:10.2307/3392004. JSTOR 3392004.
- Natura Italiana Gallery
- Gardening Europe Archived February 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Carex mckittrickensis | |