• You are here:
• Simple Key
• Grass-like plants
• Sedges
• Carex gynandra

Carex gynandra — nodding sedge

Facts

Nodding sedge gets its name from its long, drooping flower spikes. It resembles, and is closely related to fringed sedge (Carex crinita).

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), marshes, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  • the perigynium surface has papillae on it
  • 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

  24–104 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  5–68 mm

  Lowest spike width

  5–10 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has no beak, or an extremely short beak

  Perigynium beak length

  0.1–0.3 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 not divided at the tip into two teeth, or the teeth are very tiny

  Perigynium beak teeth length

  0 mm

  Perigynium color

  brown

  Perigynium cross-section

  • the perigynium is biconvex (convexly rounded on both sides, like a lens) in 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

  1.9–4.2 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  0–5

  Perigynium nerve texture

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

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  0–5

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  0

  Perigynium orientation

  the perigynia are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis or adjacent perigynia

  Perigynium puffy

  the perigynium is inflated (there is space between the perigynium and the achene)

  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

  1.1–2.3 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike number

  1–3

  Scale awn

  the carpellate scale has an awn on it

  Scale awn texture

  • the carpellate scale awn does not have teeth (it may or may not have hairs)
  • the carpellate scale awn has tiny teeth

  Scale color

  • red-brown
  • tan

  Scale length

  3.1–8.2 mm

  Scale tip

  • the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
  • the carpellate scale tip is acute (has a sharp point)

  Spike on stalk

  the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle

  Spike orientation

  the spikes are bent downwards or droop downwards

  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 two branches

  Top spike

  • the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers
  • the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene dimples

  the achene has a clear fold or dimple

  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
  • the leaf blade is flat or M-shaped, with two prominent side-veins

  Leaf blade length to width ratio

  30–52

  Leaf blade texture

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

  Leaf blade width

  4–10.5 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 rough, or has 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

  4–10.5 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

  the leaf sheath feels rough

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

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

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • marshes
  • meadows or fields
  • shores of rivers or lakes
  • swamps

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  45–140 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

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae