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- Grass-like plants
- Sedges
- Carex communis
Carex communis — fibrous-rooted sedge
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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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Facts
Fibrous-rooted sedge is distinctive due to its broad leaf bases and its dense tussocks.
Habitat
Cliffs, balds, or ledges, forests, ridges or ledges
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 2.6–5 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
- the lowest spike on the plant is not borne on a peduncle
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.7–3.8 mm
- Leaf sheath color
- 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
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 1.8–3 mm
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Length of scale
-
- the scale is nearly as long as, or longer than, the perigynium
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 5–10 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- At least 0 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.5–2.3 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
-
- the beak of the perigynium is curved, or angled out from the perigynium
- the beak of the perigynium is straight, and in line with the perigynium
- Perigynium beak serrations
-
- the perigynium beak has no 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 beak teeth length
- 0.1–0.5 mm
- 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
- 2.7–3.8 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 0–2
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 0
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 0
- Perigynium orientation
-
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- 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 orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)
- Perigynium width
- 1.2–2.6 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 4–18 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1
- Pollen-producing spike width
- 1–2.5 mm
- 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 awn texture
- NA
- Scale color
-
- brown
- red-brown
- Scale length
- 2.5–4.8 mm
- Scale tip
-
- the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- the carpellate scale tip is obtuse (has a blunt point)
- Spike on stalk
-
- the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle
- 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
- Staminate scale tip
-
- the staminate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- the staminate scale tip is obtuse (has a blunt point)
- 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
- 1.4–2.3 mm
- Achene width
- 1–1.4 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 smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
- Leaf blade width
- 2.6–5 mm
- Leaf bumps
-
- the upper surface of the leaf blade does not have papillae
- the upper surface of the leaf blade has papillae on it
- Leaf sheath bumps
-
- the top edge of the leaf sheath has papillae on it
- 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 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
- 2.6–5 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- forests
- ridges or ledges
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 20–60 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
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)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex pensylvanica:
- widest leaf blades mostly 0.5-3 mm wide and plants colonial with long rhizomes (vs. C. communis, with the widest leaf blades mostly 3-5 mm wide and plants cespitose with short rhizomes).
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
2. Carex communis Bailey var. communis N
fibrous-rooted sedge. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. In shade or in openings within deciduous or mixed evergreen-deciduous forests, also on ledges and at bases of cliffs.