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• Cyperaceae
• Carex
• Carex Group 4
• Section Gracilis
• Carex brunnea

Carex brunnea — greater brown sedge

Facts

Greater brown sedge is distributed across northeastern Africa, temperate and tropical Asia, and Australia. It is a popular horticultural plant, and various cultivars have been developed, including a variegated one. In North America it has been recorded only from Massachusetts.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  there are no papillae on the perigynium surface

  Inflorescence length

  15–30 mm

  Length of scale

  the scale is shorter than the perigynium

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  Perigynium beak length

  Up to 1 mm

  Perigynium beak orientation

  the beak of the perigynium is straight, and in line with the perigynium

  Perigynium beak serrations

  the perigynium beak has tiny serrations along the edges

  Perigynium beak teeth

  the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth

  Perigynium color

  brown

  Perigynium cross-section

  the perigynium is planoconvex (flat on one surface and rounded on the other) in cross-section

  Perigynium hairs

  the perigynium is hairy

  Perigynium length

  3–3.5 mm

  Perigynium nerve texture

  the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  9

  Perigynium orientation

  the perigynia are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis or adjacent perigynia

  Perigynium puffy

  the perigynium is inflated (there is space between the perigynium and the achene)

  Perigynium shape

  • the perigynium body is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the perigynium body is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike number

  0

  Scale awn

  • The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)
  • the carpellate scale has an awn on it

  Scale color

  • brown
  • other
  • tan

  Scale tip

  • the carpellate scale tip is acute (has a sharp point)
  • the carpellate scale tip is obtuse (has a blunt point)

  Spike on stalk

  the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle

  Spike orientation

  the spikes are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis

  Spikes per stem

  2-15

  Stigma branching

  the stigmas have two branches

  Top spike

  the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the carpellate flowers located below, or intermixed with, the staminate flowers

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene dimples

  the achene has no folds or dimples

• Growth form

  Rhizomes

  there are no rhizomes, or the rhizomes are very short

• Leaves

  Leaf arrangement

  the leaves are all produced from the base of the plant

  Leaf blade cross-section

  • The leaf blade is folded lengthwise, with one prominent midvien
  • the leaf blade is flat or M-shaped, with two prominent side-veins

  Leaf blade texture

  the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery

  Leaf blade width

  2–3 mm

  Leaf bumps

  the upper surface of the leaf blade does not have papillae

  Leaf sheath bumps

  there are no papillae at the top edge of the leaf sheath

  Leaf sheath color

  the leaf sheath has no pink, red or purple tinting

  Leaf sheath dots

  there are no dots on the leaf sheathes

  Leaf sheath folds

  there are no corrugations on the leaf sheath

  Leaf sheath texture

  the leaf sheath feels rough, or has hairs

  Lowest bract sheath

  the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters

  Lowest leaf blade width

  2–3 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

  the leaf sheath feels rough

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  Massachusetts

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  40–70 cm

  Relative stem height

  • the main stem is equal to or shorter than the leaves
  • the main stem is taller than the leaves

  Stem cross-section

  the main stem is roughly triangular in cross-section

  Stem spacing

  the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts

Wetland status

Not classified

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae