Carex bushii — Bush's sedge
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Facts
Bush's sedge is rare in New England. It is named after Benjamin Franklin Bush, 1858-1937, a grocer, postmaster and amateur botanist who lived in a small village near Kansas City, Missouri. He published books on ornithology and botany, and discovered many new plant species, including this sedge.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), floodplain (river or stream floodplains), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 1.5–4 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Spike on stalk
- the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.5–4 mm
- Leaf sheath color
- the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is hairy
- Perigynium beak teeth
- NA
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 2–3 mm
- Bumps on fruit
- the perigynium surface has papillae on it
- Length of scale
- the scale is nearly as long as, or longer than, the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 6–16 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 4.5–11 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has no beak, or an extremely short beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
- NA
- Perigynium beak serrations
- NA
- Perigynium beak teeth
- NA
- Perigynium beak teeth length
- 0 mm
- Perigynium color
-
- brown
- green
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.5–4 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 9–13
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 4–6
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 4–6
- Perigynium orientation
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- Perigynium puffy
- the perigynium is inflated (there is space between the perigynium and the achene)
- Perigynium shape
-
- the perigynium body is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the perigynium body is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- Perigynium width
- 1.4–2.1 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 0 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 0
- Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
- 0 mm
- Pollen-producing spike width
- 0 mm
- Scale awn
- the carpellate scale has an awn on it
- Scale awn texture
- the carpellate scale awn has tiny teeth
- Scale color
-
- green
- red-brown
- Scale length
- 2.5–5 mm
- Scale tip
- the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow 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
- Staminate scale tip
- the staminate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- Stigma branching
- the stigmas have three branches
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene dimples
- the achene has no folds or dimples
- Achene length
- 2–2.6 mm
- Achene width
- 1.1–1.7 mm
- Style persistence
- the style falls off the mature achenes
-
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
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is hairy
- Leaf blade width
- 1.5–4 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 is tinted pink, red or purple
- 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 no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 1.5–4 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- river or stream floodplains
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 30–90 cm
- Relative stem height
- 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
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), special concern (code: SC)
- Maine
- extirpated (S-rank: SX), potentially extirpated (code: PE)
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- historical (S-rank: SH)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
157. Carex bushii Mackenzie NC
Bush’s sedge. Carex caroliniana Schwein. var. cuspidata (Dewey) Shinners • CT, MA, ME, RI, VT. Mesic to dry-mesic, often sandy, fields, meadows, and open, human-disturbed areas, infrequently of seasonally saturated, lacustrine floodplains.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
Synonyms
- Carex caroliniana Schwein. var. cuspidata (Dewey) Shinners