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Carex canescens — hoary sedge

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New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Facts

The densely flowered spikes of hoary sedge resemble small pinecones. There are two subspecies in our region, Carex canescens ssp. canescens, and C. canescens ssp. disjuncta, the second having a longer inflorescence with the spikes more widely spread.

Habitat

Bogs, fens (calcium-rich wetlands), forests, marshes, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)

Characteristics

Habitat
wetlands
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • 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 is not borne on 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 has no hairs
Perigynium length
1.8–3 mm
Leaf sheath color
  • the leaf sheath has no pink, red or purple tinting
  • the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
Leaf blade texture
the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
Perigynium beak teeth
  • the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth
  • the perigynium beak is not divided at the tip into two teeth, or the teeth are very tiny
Show all characteristics

  • Flowers

    Bumps on fruit
    • the perigynium surface has papillae on it
    • there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
    Inflorescence length
    20–150 mm
    Length of scale
    the scale is shorter than the perigynium
    Lowest spike stalk length
    0 mm
    Perigynium beak
    • the perigynium has a beak
    • the perigynium has no beak, or an extremely short beak
    Perigynium beak length
    0–0.5 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
    • the perigynium beak is not divided at the tip into two teeth, or the teeth are very tiny
    Perigynium beak teeth length
    At least 0 mm
    Perigynium color
    • brown
    • yellow
    Perigynium cross-section
    the perigynium is planoconvex (flat on one surface and rounded on the other) in cross-section
    Perigynium hairs
    the perigynium has no hairs
    Perigynium length
    1.8–3 mm
    Perigynium nerve texture
    the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
    Perigynium orientation
    the perigynia are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis or adjacent perigynia
    Perigynium puffy
    the achene is tightly enclosed by the perigynium
    Perigynium shape
    • the perigynium body is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
    • the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)
    Perigynium width
    1.2–1.7 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 does not have an awn (it may have a short point)
    Scale awn texture
    NA
    Scale color
    • green
    • white or translucent
    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 is not borne on 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 staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers

  • Fruits or seeds

    Achene dimples
    the achene has no folds or dimples
    Achene length
    1.25–1.5 mm
    Achene width
    1–1.25 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 flat or M-shaped, with two prominent side-veins
    Leaf blade length to width ratio
    67–75
    Leaf blade texture
    the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
    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 has no pink, red or purple tinting
    • 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 smooth, and has no 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
    wetlands
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • bogs
    • edges of wetlands
    • fens (calcium-rich wetlands)
    • forests
    • marshes

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Plant height
    15–90 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 only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)

New England distribution and conservation status

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
present
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
present
Vermont
present

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
unranked (S-rank: SNR)

ssp. canescens

Massachusetts
unranked (S-rank: SNR)

ssp. disjuncta

Massachusetts
unranked (S-rank: SNR)

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Carex brunnescens:
each spike composed of mostly 5-10 loosely ascending perigynia (vs. C. canescens, with each spike composed of mostly 10-20 closely ascending perigynia).

Family

Cyperaceae

Genus

Carex

Notes on subspecies and varieties in New England

Carex canescens ssp. canescens is known from CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. C. canescens ssp. disjuncta (Fern.) Toivonen is known from CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT.

Help

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae

70.  Carex canescens L. N

hoary sedge. 70a. Carex subloliacea (Fern.) Bickn.; 70b. Carex canescens L.  var. 
 disjuncta Fern.; C. disjuncta (Fern.) Bickn. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Wet areas, usually 
associated with bryophytes and/or organic soils, such as peatlands, boggy marsh 
edges, and wet evergreen forests.

1a.  Inflorescence 3–5 (–7) cm tall; most spikes (except for the lowest 1 or 2) approximate to one another or separated by short internodes, the lowest internode mostly 10–20 mm long; reproductive stems 16–60 cm tall … 70a. C. canescens ssp. canescens

1b.  Inflorescence 6–12 (–15) cm tall; most spikes (except for the upper 1 or 2) remote from one another, the lowest internode mostly 20–50 mm long; reproductive stems 30–90 cm tall 
 … 70b. C. canescens ssp. disjuncta (Fern.) Toivonen

Subspecies canescens is known from CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Subspecies disjuncta is known from CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT.

70×71. Carex canescens × Carex mackenziei → Carex ×‌pseudohelvola Kihlm. is a rare sedge hybrid that is known from ME. 
It is similar to C. mackenziei in that the carpellate scales ± equal the perigynia and cover them. However, the hybrid differs from that species in its scabrous upper angles 
of the stem and the carpellate scales that are weakly tinged with red-brown.