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• Carex bigelowii

Carex bigelowii — Bigelow's sedge

Facts

Bigelow's sedge is a high-altitude species, found only on alpine ridges and plateaus. Typically found as scattered individuals, it can occasionally dominate tundra or sedge meadows.

Habitat

Alpine or subalpine zones, ridges or ledges

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  the perigynium surface has papillae on it

  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

  7–30 mm

  Lowest spike width

  3–4 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  Perigynium beak length

  0–1 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

  green

  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

  1.8–3.5 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  0–4

  Perigynium nerve texture

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

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  1–4

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  1–4

  Perigynium orientation

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

  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)

  Perigynium width

  1.1–2 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike length

  5–20 mm

  Pollen-producing spike number

  1–2

  Scale awn

  The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)

  Scale awn texture

  NA

  Scale color

  purple to black

  Scale tip

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

  Spike on stalk

  the lowest spike on the plant has 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 only staminate flowers

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene dimples

  the achene has no folds or dimples

  Style persistence

  the style falls off the mature achenes

• Growth form

  Rhizomes

  there are long rhizomes present

• Leaves

  Leaf arrangement

  the leaves are all produced from the base of the plant

  Leaf blade texture

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

  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 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

  1.5–4 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

  the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)

  stem leaf blade width

  1.5–4 mm

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Maine
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • alpine or subalpine zones
  • ridges or ledges

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  10–50 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 singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)

Wetland status

Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae