Belongs within: Scirpeae.
Contains: Carex subgenus Carex, Carex subgenus Vignea, ‘Uncinia’ section Uncinia.
Carex is a large genus (over 1500 species) of sedges found in cool and temperate parts of the world. Some species are agricultural weeds in pasture and damp habitats. Members of the genus produce unisexual flowers with female flowers enclosed in a utricle. Female spikelets are single-flowered and arranged in spikes of two to numerous spikelets, whereas male spikelets are two- or more flowered (Moore & Edgar 1970). A group of mostly Southern Hemisphere species in which the spikelet rhachilla is produced into a hook have historically been recognised as a distinct genus Uncinia but phylogenetic analysis demonstrates this group to be embedded within a broader Carex.
Basal members of Carex include the southeast Asian C. hypolytroides, in which the inflorescence is produced as a compound, interrupted panicle. Carex siderosticta is another East Asian species unique in the genus in the production of ‘pseudo-lateral’ culms. Carex brunnea, the greater brown sedge, is an Indo-Australian species bearing drooping to spreading inflorescences with one to three spikes, and white-hispid perigynia with a distinct beak. The southern Asian C. filicina is a tussock-forming species with a thick, wooden rhizome. The brown sedge C. disticha is a European species that has become sporadically introduced to the Great Lakes region of North America. Carex physodes is a Central Asian species that grows as a rhizomatous geophyte.
The bristle sedge Carex microglochin, a small sedge with a single terminal spike on the stem, is widespread in temperate and boreal regions of the North and South Hemispheres. Carex simpliciuscula, C. myosuroides and relatives form a clade of species with the utricle open on one side that has historically been assigned to a distinct genus Kobresia.
<==Carex Linnaeus 1753LH97 [incl Uncinia Pers. 1807ME70]
|--+--C. hypolytroidesSB19
| `--C. siderostictaSB19
`--+--+--+--C. brunneaSB19
| | `--+--C. filicinaSB19
| | `--C. subg. CarexSB19
| `--+--C. capillifoliaSB19
| `--+--C. subg. VigneaSB19
| `--+--C. distichaSB19 [=Uncinia disticha Col. 1888ME70]
| `--C. physodesSB19
`--+--+--C. microglochinSB19
| | |--C. m. ssp. microglochinD03
| | `--C. m. ssp. fueginaD03
| `--+--‘Uncinia’ sect. UnciniaSB19
| `--+--C. simpliciusculaSB19
| `--+--C. myosuroidesSB19
| `--C. parvulaSB19 [=C. inversa f. parvula Kük. 1909ME70]
`--+--+--C. phyllostachysSB19
| `--+--C. peregrinaSB19
| `--+--C. macrostylosSB19
| `--C. pulicarisSB19
`--+--C. lanceaSB19
`--+--C. ludwigiiSB19
`--+--C. capensisSB19
`--+--C. sparteaSB19
`--C. uhligiiSB19
Carex incertae sedis:
C. abditaNC01
C. abruptaH93
C. acutiformisNN95
C. albida [incl. C. sonomensis]H93
C. albonigraH93
C. almaH93
C. alsophilaB78
C. amplectensH93
C. amplifoliaH93
C. angustataH93 [=C. sterilis var. angustataV72; incl. C. eurycarpaH93, C. oxycarpaH93]
C. athrostachyaH93
C. atrataO88
|--C. a. ssp. atrataO88
`--C. a. ssp. pullataO88
C. atrofuscaO88
|--C. a. ssp. atrofuscaO88
`--C. a. ssp. minor nec C. fascicularis var. minor Boott in Hook. f. 1853 nec C. inversa var. minor Boott 1867O88
C. australis Link ex Boeck. 1877 (n. d.)ME70
C. barbaraeH93
C. benghalensisB78
C. bicolorC55b
C. bigelowiiCS77
C. bolanderiH93
C. brainerdiiH93
C. brevicaulisH93
C. breweriH93
C. californicaH93
C. canariensisKL98
C. caryophylleaKL98
C. chordorrhizaV72
C. compacta [=Uncinia compacta]B78
C. concinnoidesH93
C. congdoniiH93
C. contractaB78
C. coxiana Petrie 1926 (n. d.)ME70
C. cruentaO88
C. curtaC55a
C. cusickiiH93
C. darwinii Boott. 1845C06
|--C. d. var. darwiniiME70
`--C. d. var. aristata Clarke ex Kük. 1899 [=C. darwinii var. urolepis (Franch.) Kükenthal 1909]ME70
C. davyiH93
C. deciduaD03
C. densaH93 [=C. gayana var. densaD03; incl. C. breviligulataH93, C. vicariaH93]
C. distachyaKL98
C. douglasiiH93
C. dudleyiH93
C. eburneaV72
C. ekmaniiJ87
C. eleocharisMML75
C. fetaH93
C. filifoliaCL86
|--C. f. var. filifoliaH93
`--C. f. var. erostrata [incl. C. exserta]H93
C. firmaPS98
C. fissilis [incl. C. dietrichiae Boeckel 1875]B78
C. fissuricolaH93
C. fractaH93
C. fuscaD06
C. geyeriH93
C. gigasH93
C. globosaH93
C. graciliorH93
C. gynodynamaH93
C. haasteana Boeck. 1878ME70
C. haematostomaO88
C. halliana [incl. C. oregonensis]H93
C. harfordii [incl. C. montereyensis]H93
C. hasseiH93 [incl. C. aurea var. androgynaH93, C. pensylvanica f. androgynaV72]
C. hattorianaP82
C. heleonastesC55b
C. helleriH93
C. hendersoniiH93
C. heteroneuraH93
|--C. h. var. heteroneuraH93
`--C. h. var. epapillosaH93
C. himalaicaO88
C. hirtellaO88
C. hirtifoliaV72
C. hirtissimaH93
C. hoodiiH93
C. hubbardiiB00
C. hypandraB78
C. illotaH93
C. inanisO88
C. incurvaC55b
C. incurviformisH93
|--C. i. var. incurviformisH93
`--C. i. var. danaensisH93
C. indicaB78
C. infuscataO88
C. inops [incl. C. pensylvanica var. vespertina]H93
C. integraH93
C. irriguaC55a
C. jonesiiH93
C. juncifoliaC55a
C. kobomugiSTK06
C. krullii Boeck. 1882 (n. d.)ME70
C. laetaO88
C. laeviculmisH93
C. lehmanniiO88
C. lemmoniiH93
C. leporinaCA26
C. leporinellaH93
C. leptalea [incl. C. microstachys, C. polytrichoides]H93
|--C. l. var. leptaleaV72
`--C. l. var. harperiV72
C. lobolepisB78
C. longiacuminata Col. 1889 (n. d.)ME70
C. luzulaifolia [=C. luzulaefolia (l. c.)]H93
C. luzulinaH93
|--C. l. var. luzulinaH93
`--C. l. var. ablataH93
C. lyngbyeiH93
C. maclovianaBS00
C. macrocephalaT87
C. maculata [incl. C. neurochlamys]B78
C. magellanicaD03
C. mariposana [incl. C. paucifructus]H93
C. maritimaO88
C. maximaW17
C. melananthaO88
C. mendocinensisH93
C. mertensiiH93
C. microptera [incl. C. festivella]H93
C. misandraCS77
C. monostachyaDS04
C. mucronataC55a
C. multicaulisH93
C. multicostataH93
C. mundaO88
C. nakaoanaO88
C. nebrascensisH93
C. neesianaC06
C. nervinaH93
C. neurophoraH93
C. nigricansH93
C. nivalisO88
C. norvegicaH93
C. novae-selandiae Boeck. 1878 (n. d.)ME70
C. nubigenaO88
C. nudataH93
C. obispoensisH93
C. obnuptaH93
C. obscuraO88
|--C. o. var. obscuraO88
`--C. o. var. brachycarpaO88
C. occidentalisH93
C. orbicularisO88
C. pachystachyaH93 (see below for synonymy)
C. paludosaC55a
C. paniceaC06
C. pansaH93 [=C. arenicola ssp. pansaM68]
C. parallelaH44
C. parryanaH93
|--C. p. var. parryanaH93
`--C. p. var. halliiH93
C. parvaO88
C. perraudierianaKL98
C. persoonii [incl. C. vitilis]C55b
C. petasata [incl. C. liddonii]H93
C. phaeocephala [incl. C. phaeocephala f. eastwoodiana]H93
‘Uncinia’ phleoidesD03
C. polyneura Col. 1889 (n. d.)ME70
‘Uncinia’ polyneura Col. 1887 (n. d.)ME70
C. praeceptorumH93
C. preissii [incl. C. thecata]B78
C. presliiH93
C. propositaH93
C. pseudofoetidaO88
C. quadrangulata Col. 1885 (n. d.)ME70
C. raynoldsiiH93
C. rotoensis Petrie 1926 (n. d.)ME70
C. saliniformis [=C. salinaeformis (l. c.)]H93
C. sartwelliana [incl. C. yosemitana]H93
C. scabrataV72
C. scabrifoliaT03
C. schottiiH93
C. scopulorumH93
|--C. s. var. scopulorumH93
`--C. s. var. bracteosa [incl. C. gymnoclada]H93
C. sempervirensH09
C. sentaH93
C. serratodens [incl. C. bifida]H93
C. sexspicata Col. 1884 (n. d.)ME70
C. sheldoniiH93
C. simulataH93
C. specificaH93
C. spectabilisH93
C. spissaH93
C. sprengeliiV72
C. straminiformisH93
C. subbracteataH93
C. subfusca [incl. C. teneraeformis]H93
C. subnigricansH93
C. subspathaceaH44
C. supinaO88
C. tahoensisH93
C. tereticaulisB78
C. teretiuscula Good. 1794C06
C. thouarsiiRJ11
C. tioganaH93
C. tompkinsiiH93
C. trinervisBBM02
C. triquetraH93
C. tumulicolaH93
C. unilateralisH93
C. ustulataC55b
C. utriculata [incl. C. rostrata]H93
C. vahlii [incl. C. alpina]C55b
C. vallicolaH93
C. vernaculaH93
C. vulgarisB78
|--C. v. var. vulgarisB78
`--C. v. var. gaudichaudianaB78
C. vulpinaM10
C. whitneyi [incl. C. jepsonii]H93
Atratae groupV72
|--C. atratiformisV72
|--C. buxbaumiiV72
`--C. mediaV72
Bicolores groupV72
|--C. aureaV72
`--C. garberiV72
Cryptocarpae groupV72
|--C. crinitaV72
`--C. gynandraV72
Deweyanae groupV72
|--C. bromoidesV72
`--C. deweyanaV72
|--C. d. ssp. deweyanaH93
`--C. d. ssp. leptopodaH93
Digitatae groupV72
|--C. concinnaV72
|--C. pedunculataV72
`--C. richardsoniiV72
Gracillimae groupV72
|--C. davisiiV72
|--C. formosaV72
|--C. gracillimaV72
`--C. prasinaV72
Granulares groupV72
|--C. craweiV72
`--C. granularis [incl. C. granularis var. haleana]V72
Griseae groupV72
|--C. amphibolaV72
| |--C. a. var. amphibolaV72
| `--C. a. var. turgida [incl. C. grisea]V72
`--C. conoideaV72
Limosae groupV72
|--C. limosaV72
`--C. pauperculaV72
Montanae groupV72
|--C. artitectaV72
|--C. communisV72
| | i. s.: C. c. f. gynandra non C. gynandraV72
| |--C. c. var. communisV72
| `--C. c. var. wheeleriV72
|--C. deflexaV72
|--C. emmonsiiV72
|--C. lucorumV72
|--C. peckiiV72
|--C. pensylvanicaV72
| |--C. p. var. pensylvanicaV72
| `--C. p. var. digyna [incl. C. heliophila]V72
|--C. rossiiV72 [=C. novae-angliae var. rossiiH93; incl. C. brevipesH93]
|--C. rugospermaV72
| |--C. r. var. rugospermaV72
| `--C. r. var. tonsa [=C. umbellata var. tonsa]V72
`--C. umbellataV72
Oligocarpae groupV72
|--C. hitchcockianaV72
`--C. oligocarpaV72
Paniceae groupV72
|--C. livida [incl. C. grayana, C. livida var. radicaulis]V72
|--C. tetanicaV72
| |--C. t. var. tetanicaV72
| `--C. t. var. meadiiV72
|--C. vaginataV72
`--C. woodiiV72
Phyllostachyae groupV72
|--C. backiiV72
`--C. jamesiiV72
Squarrosae groupV72
|--C. frankiiV72
|--C. squarrosaV72
`--C. typhinaV72
Vesicariae groupV72
|--C. oligospermaV72
|--C. retrorsaV72
|--C. tuckermaniiV72
`--C. vesicariaV72
|--C. v. var. vesicaria [incl. C. inflata]H93
`--C. v. var. major non C. inversa var. major [incl. C. exsiccata]H93
Virescentes groupV72
|--C. hirsutellaV72
|--C. swanii [incl. C. virescens var. minima]V72
`--C. virescensV72
Vulpinae groupV72
|--C. alopecoideaV72
|--C. crus-corviV72
|--C. laevivaginataV72
`--C. stipataV72
Carex pachystachyaH93 [incl. C. filiformis ssp. aematorhyncha f. gracilis non C. ternaria var. gracilis Cheesem. 1884D03, C. pachystachya var. gracilisH93, C. olympicaH93]
*Type species of generic name indicated
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