- You are here:
- Full Key
- Grass-like plants
- Sedges
- Carex spicata
Carex spicata — prickly sedge
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Facts
Prickly sedge is introduced from Europe and occupies fields, pastures, roadsides and lawns. It is one of the few species in its subgenus that possesses strongly red or purple-colored basal sheaths.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 2–4 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 is not borne on a peduncle
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the carpellate flowers located below, or intermixed with, the staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 4–5.5 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
- 1.5–2.5 mm
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Inflorescence length
- 10–40 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 5–8 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 0 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 1.5–2 mm
- 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 beak teeth length
- 0.3–0.6 mm
- Perigynium color
-
- brown
- green
- 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
- 4–5.5 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 0–7
- Perigynium nerve texture
-
- NA
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 0–7
- 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 shape
-
- the perigynium body is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)
- Perigynium width
- 2.2–2.4 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- 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)
- the carpellate scale has an awn on it
- Scale awn texture
-
- NA
- the carpellate scale awn does not have teeth (it may or may not have hairs)
- Scale color
-
- brown
- green
- Scale length
- 3.2–4.5 mm
- Scale tip
- the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- Spike on stalk
- 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
- Stigma branching
- the stigmas have two branches
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the carpellate flowers located below, or intermixed with, the staminate flowers
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene dimples
- the achene has no folds or dimples
- Achene length
- 2–2.3 mm
- Achene width
- 2 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
- 2–4 mm
- Leaf bumps
- 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
- 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
- the leaf sheath has corrugations on it
- Leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth, and has no hairs
- Ligule length
- 3.5–8 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
- 2–4 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
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 10–85 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
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
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.
- Vermont
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
Synonyms
- Carex contigua Hoppe
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
153. Carex spicata Huds. E
prickly sedge. Carex contigua Hoppe • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Open, often human-disturbed and/or early successional habitats such as fields, pastures, and roadsides.