Carex deflexa — northern sedge
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Facts
Northern sedge is a small sedge with a northern distribution, found in a broad range of habitat types in New England.
Habitat
Forest edges, forests, meadows and fields, woodlands
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
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 0.9–3.2 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 only staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.3–3.1 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
- 1.2–2.5 mm
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 6–10 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.4–0.8 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
- the beak of the perigynium is curved, or angled out from 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 beak teeth length
- 0.1–0.2 mm
- Perigynium color
- green
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.3–3.1 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 0
- Perigynium nerve texture
- NA
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 0
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 0
- 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)
- the perigynium body is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- Perigynium width
- 1–1.4 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 3.1–11.3 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1
- Pollen-producing spike width
- 0.7–2.7 mm
- Scale awn
- The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)
- Scale awn texture
- NA
- Scale color
-
- red-brown
- white or translucent
- Scale length
- 2–2.8 mm
- Scale tip
-
- the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- 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
- Staminate scale tip
-
- the staminate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- the staminate scale tip is acute (has a sharp 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
- 1.3–1.6 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
- 0.9–3.2 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 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
- 0.9–3.2 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of forests
- forests
- meadows or fields
- woodlands
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 5–31 cm
- Relative stem height
- the main stem is equal to or shorter than the leaves
- Spike internode length
- Up to 7 mm
- 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
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), #NAME? (code: #NAME?)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Carex deflexa Hornem. var. deflexa N
northern sedge. MA, ME, NH, VT; also reported from CT by Crins and Rettig (2002), but specimens are unknown. Fields, forest openings and edges, and on the interior of a variety of forest and woodland types.