Scleria triglomerata — whip nutsedge
![Leaves and auricles: Scleria triglomerata. ~ By Derick B. Poindexter. ~ Copyright © 2024 Derick B. Poindexter. ~ dpoindex[at]live.unc.edu ~ Vascular Flora of Alleghany County, NC - vascularflora.appstate.edu/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/scleria-triglomerata-la-dpoindexter1.jpg)
![Stems and sheaths: Scleria triglomerata. ~ By Derick B. Poindexter. ~ Copyright © 2024 Derick B. Poindexter. ~ dpoindex[at]live.unc.edu ~ Vascular Flora of Alleghany County, NC - vascularflora.appstate.edu/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/scleria-triglomerata-ss-dpoindexter1.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Scleria triglomerata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/scleria-triglomerata-in-ahaines.jpg)
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Facts
Whip nutsedge is the most common and widespread species in its genus (Scleria), but it is rare and in decline in New England, with a few populations remaining in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Its plight is probably due to natural succession reducing the number of open, seasonally wet, sandy sites on which it occurs.
Habitat
Meadows and fields, wetland margins (edges of wetlands), 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
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- Leaf blade width
- 3–9 mm
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is flat or rolled in at the edges
- Inflorescence position
-
- the inflorescence emerges from an axil, or most of its parts do so
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is branched
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit length
- 2–3 mm
- Leaf position on plant
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- Perianth composition
- there is no perianth on the plant
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 2.5–4 mm
- Floral bristle color
- NA
- Floral bristle number
- 0
- Floral bristle relative length
- NA
- Floral bristles
- NA
- Floral scale hairs
- the floral scales have hairs on them
- Floral scale shape
- the floral scales are ovate (roughly egg-shaped)
- Floral scale translucent
- the floral scales are opaque
- Inflorescence bract angle
- the bracts are vertical or angled only slightly outwards
- Inflorescence bract number
- there are two to five bracts per inflorescence
- Inflorescence bract position (Sparganium)
- NA
- Inflorescence bracts
- there are at least two bracts, and they are either flat or folded or rolled in at the edges
- Inflorescence branching
- the inflorescence is branched
- Inflorescence crowding
-
- the inflorescence is at least somewhat spread out, with at least one branch coming from the main stem
- the inflorescence is crowded together in one tight cluster
- Inflorescence position
-
- the inflorescence emerges from an axil, or most of its parts do so
- the inflorescence is at the tip of the plant
- Inflorescence shape
- the aggregations within the inflorescence are roughly circular (not flattened) in cross-section
- Inflorescence type
-
- there are two or more flowers, spikes or flower clusters on a branched inflorescence
- there is one spike or raceme at the tip of the stem
- Perianth composition
- there is no perianth on the plant
- Stamen number
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Stigma number
-
- 2
- 3
- Style division
- the top two thirds of the style is divided
- floral bristle barbs
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene surface texture
- the achene is smooth (it has no detectable texture)
- Achene tubercle relative width
- NA
- Achene tubercle width
- 0 mm
- Capsule relative length
- NA
- Fruit cross-section
- the fruit is triangular to terete (circular) in cross-section
- Fruit length
- 2–3 mm
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is like a seed, and surrounded by scales
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, seed-like fruit) without a tubercle (a swelling or projection, usually of a different color or texture)
- Locules in capsule
- NA
- Seed length
- 0 mm
- Seed tail relative length
- 0 mm
- Seed tails
- NA
- Tubercle height
- 0 mm
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Auricle length
- 0 mm
- Auricle texture
- NA
- Auricles
- there are no auricles on the leaf sheath
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is flat or rolled in at the edges
- Leaf blade length
- Up to 40 mm
- Leaf blade width
- 3–9 mm
- Leaf form
- all the leaves hold their form out of water
- Leaf position on plant
- some leaf attachment points are above the midpoint of the stem
- Leaf septa
- the leaf blades do not have transverse septa
- Pedicel length (Typha)
- 0 mm
- Stem leaf blade ligules
- the plant has ligules at the leaf blade bases
- Stem leaf blades
- there are fully-developed leaves with leaf blades on the main stem
- Width of seed-producing inflorescence
- 5–15 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of wetlands
- meadows or fields
- woodlands
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 40–100 cm
- Stem shape in cross-section
- the stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- Stem texture near tip
- the edges of the stem feel rough near the tip
- Stem thickness at midpoint
- 2.5–6 mm
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state threatened (code: ST)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Scleria triglomerata Michx. NC
whip nutsedge. Scleria flaccida Steud.; S. nitida Willd. • CT, MA, RI, VT. Openings in woodlands, moist sandy fields, and low, seasonally wet, sandy areas. The voucher for this species from VT is somewhat enigmatic—it is without location (beyond the state), date, or collector, though it is in the hand of Perkins (Arthur Gilman, personal communication; specimen at VT).