Carex caryophyllea — vernal sedge
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
Facts
Vernal sedge is a non-native sedge originating in Eurasia. It was first recorded in North America in 1826. It is found in Massachusetts and Maine. Vernal sedge can be confused with Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica), which it resembles in size and habit, but it is easily distinguished by its awned scales, and perigynia with thick conical beaks.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Leaf blade width
- 1.5–3 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
-
- the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
- 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 only staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.5–2.8 mm
- Leaf sheath color
- the leaf sheath has no pink, red or purple tinting
- 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
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 2–3 mm
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Inflorescence length
- 20–40 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is nearly as long as, or longer than, the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 5–15 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 4–5 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.2 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
- the beak of the perigynium is straight, and in line with the perigynium
- Perigynium beak serrations
- the perigynium beak has no serrations
- Perigynium beak teeth
- the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth
- Perigynium color
- green
- Perigynium cross-section
-
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- the perigynium is trigonous (triangular) in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.5–2.8 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 obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Perigynium width
- 1.5 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 10–20 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1
- Pollen-producing spike width
- 4 mm
- Scale awn
- the carpellate scale has an awn on it
- Scale awn texture
- the carpellate scale awn has tiny teeth
- Scale color
- brown
- Scale tip
-
- the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- the carpellate scale tip is rounded to retuse (blunt or rounded, with a notch at the tip)
- 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 three branches
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene dimples
- the achene has no folds or dimples
- Achene length
- 2–2.2 mm
- Style persistence
- the style stays on the mature achenes
-
Growth form
- Rhizomes
- there are long rhizomes present
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- the leaves are mostly produced higher up on the plant
- Leaf blade cross-section
- The leaf blade is folded lengthwise, with one prominent midvien
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 47–83
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
- Leaf blade width
- 1.5–3 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 smooth, and has no hairs
- Lowest bract sheath
-
- the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
- the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 1.5–3 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 4–35 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 singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
114. Carex caryophyllea Lat. E
vernal sedge. MA, ME. Fields, pastures, and other human-disturbed or human-manicured areas.