• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.223-251
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• 2001

Morphological characters of section Atratae of the genus Carex (Cyperaceae) were reexamined. The epidermal patterns of perigynium, achene and leaf were investigated using by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a light microscope (LM). Morphological characters such as length and width of stem, leaf, bract, spike, scale, perigynium and achene, and shape of cross-sectioned stem, and leaf, spike, scale, apex of scale, perigynium, beak of perigynium and achene, and epidermal pattern of perigynium, achene and leaf (shape of fundamental epidermal cell and cell wall, type of silica body, shape of beak epidermal cell and cell wall in perigynium, subsidiary cell shape, size and frequency of stomatal complex of leaf) were useful for the identifications of the observed seven taxa. C. gmelinii, C. hancokiana and C. peiktusani have been confused each other due to similar morphological characters. Howerever these taxa were distinct with respect to shape of scale, apex of scale, perigynium, type of silica body, frequence of stomatal complex, subsidal cell shape, and epidermal patterns of achene and leaf.