On species status of Carex sordida (Cyperaceae)

This article deals with the problem of species independence of Carex sordida. Closely related species of the sect. Carex, C. sordida, C. atherodes, and C. drymophila, were analyzed based on material from Asian Russia. Based on morphological characteristics, it was suggested that C. sordida is more closely related to C. atherodes than to C. drymophila. Molecular analysis using the matK plastid gene and the ITS2 and ETS nuclear ribosomal spacers confirmed that C. sordida is a distinct species closely related to C. atherodes. Several specimens of hybrid origin among the studied species were found. During the revision of herbarium samples, several new localities of C. sordida were identified, which significantly expanded its range to the west. In this study, for the first time, distribution maps of C. sordida, C. drymophila, and C. atherodes in the Asian part of Russia were published.