Carex lacustris × C. trichocarpa (Cyperaceae), a new natural hybrid

Abstract

The new natural hybrid Carex lacustris × C. trichocarpa is described from material found in southern Ontario and New York State. The plants are sterile with incompletely developed stamens and distorted pollen that failed to stain with lactophenol. The parentage is confirmed through intermediacy in distinctive morphological characters. The new hybrid possesses unique features of each parent including the red apices of the inner sheath bands of C. trichocarpa and the long ligules of C. lacustris. The flavonoid spectrum of the hybrid was found to be consistent with the proposed parentage. Luteolin glycosides were found only in C. lacustris, whereas tricin glycosides were restricted to C. trichocarpa. Although the hybrid had marker compounds from both putative parents, complementation was incomplete. The occurrence of this hybrid suggests that sedges with quite different chromosome numbers can and do form natural hybrids.