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• Carex festucacea

Carex festucacea — fescue sedge

Facts

Fescue sedge is often confused with green-white sedge (Carex albolutescens), but the two differ in perigynia width (green-white sedge has narrower perigynia up to 1 mm, fescue sedge has wider perigynia at 1-1.3 mm wide). Also, in green-white sedge the styles are bent toward the narrow edge of the achene, while in fescue sedge they are bent toward the broad surface of the achene.

Habitat

Meadows and fields, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  there are no papillae on the perigynium surface

  Inflorescence length

  25–60 mm

  Length of scale

  the scale is shorter than the perigynium

  Lowest spike length

  6–16 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  0 mm

  Lowest spike width

  5–6.5 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  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

  Perigynium color

  • brown
  • green
  • 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

  2.5–4.2 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  At least 5

  Perigynium nerve texture

  the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  At least 5

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  0–6

  Perigynium orientation

  the perigynia are angled outwards

  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 orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)

  Perigynium width

  1.5–2.5 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has wings on it

  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
  • other
  • white or translucent

  Scale length

  2.3–3.8 mm

  Scale tip

  the carpellate scale tip is acute (has a sharp point)

  Spike on stalk

  the lowest spike on the plant is not borne on a peduncle

  Spike orientation

  • the spikes are angled outwards, or arched over
  • the spikes are bent downwards or droop downwards

  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

  1.2–1.8 mm

  Achene width

  1–1.3 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 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

  86–150

  Leaf blade texture

  the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery

  Leaf blade width

  1–3.5 mm

  Leaf bumps

  the upper surface of the leaf blade does not have papillae

  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 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

  Ligule length

  1–3 mm

  Lowest bract sheath

  the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)

  Lowest leaf blade width

  1–3.5 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

  • edges of wetlands
  • meadows or fields
  • swamps

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  45–100 cm

  Relative stem height

  the main stem is taller than the leaves

  Spike internode length

  3–18 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

Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae