Carex hystericina — porcupine sedge
![Plant form: Carex hystericina. ~ By Dana Visalli. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~ dana[at]methownet.com ~ U. of Washington - WTU - Herbarium - biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-hystericina-ha-dvisalli.jpg)
![Leaves: Carex hystericina. ~ By John Hilty. ~ Copyright © 2024 John Hilty. ~ john[at]illinoiswildflowers.info ~ Illinois Wildflowers - www.illinoiswildflowers.info/index.htm](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-hystericina-le-jhilty.jpg)
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Facts
Porcupine sedge is common on calcareous substrates on lake and stream shores and wet meadows. It can be distinguished from the similar sallow sedge (Carex lurida) by having smaller perigynia (4.5–7.3 × 1.4–2.1 mm versus 6.5–10.8 × 2–3.5 mm in sallow sedge). Porcupine sedge can be distinguished from bearded sedge (C. comosa) by having teeth on the beak of the perigynium that are both shorter than those of bearded sedge (0.3–0.9 mm vs. 1.3–2.1 mm), and straight rather than outcurved.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), fens (calcium-rich wetlands), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps
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
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 2.5–8.5 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
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 4.5–7.3 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
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Inflorescence length
- 25–200 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 15–40 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 10–15 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 1.9–2.8 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 beak teeth length
- 0.3–0.9 mm
- Perigynium color
-
- green
- tan
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 4.5–7.3 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 13–21
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 6–10
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 6–10
- Perigynium orientation
-
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- 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)
- Perigynium width
- 1.4–2.1 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 20–40 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1
- Scale awn
- the carpellate scale has an awn on it
- Scale awn texture
- the carpellate scale awn has tiny teeth
- Scale color
-
- brown
- white or translucent
- Scale length
- 2.3–6.5 mm
- Scale tip
- 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 bent downwards or droop downwards
- 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
- Style persistence
- the style stays on 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 flat or M-shaped, with two prominent side-veins
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
- Leaf blade width
- 2.5–8.5 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 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
- 2.5–8.5 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- fens (calcium-rich wetlands)
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- shores of rivers or lakes
- swamps
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 20–100 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
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
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)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
181. Carex hystericina Muhl. ex Willd. N
porcupine sedge. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Lake and stream shores, wet meadows, fens, calcareous seeps, ditches.
181×188. Carex hystericina × Carex schweinitzii → This very rare sedge hybrid is known from MA, VT. It generally resembles Carex schweinitzii but has conspicuous anthocyanic coloration on the lower leaf sheaths, shorter rhizomes (these extending as much as 6–8 cm before turning upward to produce a new aerial shoot), perigynia with ca. 10–16 nerves, and staminate scales with some marginal cilia on the body of the scale. In contrast, C. schweinitzii has non-anthocyanic lower sheaths, rhizomes up to ca. 30 cm long (or longer), perigynia with 7–11 nerves, and no marginal cilia on the staminate scales. Carex hystericina has strongly anthocyanic lower sheaths, rhizomes rarely longer than 3 cm, perigynia with 13–21 nerves, and prominently ciliate staminate scales.