Carex pauciflora — few-flowered sedge
![Perigynia: Carex pauciflora. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2025 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-pauciflora-pe-ahaines.jpg)
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Facts
Few-flowered sedge, a plant of open bogs, is unusual in that it displays mechanical throwing of seeds away from the plant (ballistic dispersal) to a distance of one or two feet when disturbed. The seeds are also somewhat sticky, and can adhere to clothing or animal fur for longer-distance dispersal.
Habitat
Bogs
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.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 0.5–1.6 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
- NA
- Spike on stalk
- NA
- 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
- 5–7.8 mm
- Leaf sheath color
- the leaf sheath has no pink, red or purple tinting
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
- Perigynium beak teeth
- the perigynium beak is not divided at the tip into two teeth, or the teeth are very tiny
-
Flowers
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Distance between perigynia
- 0 mm
- Inflorescence length
- 5–8 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 5–8 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 0 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 2–17 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- Up to 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 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
- tan
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 5–7.8 mm
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium orientation
-
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- the perigynia are curved or bent downwards or backwards along the axis
- Perigynium puffy
- the perigynium is inflated (there is space between the perigynium and the achene)
- Perigynium shape
-
- the perigynium body is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the perigynium body is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- Perigynium width
- 0.7–1.1 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)
- Scale awn texture
- NA
- Scale color
- tan
- Scale length
- 3.7–5.9 mm
- 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
- NA
- Spike orientation
- the spikes are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis
- Spikes per stem
- 1
- Stigma branching
- the stigmas have three 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
- 2–2.4 mm
- Achene width
- 0.8–1 mm
- Style persistence
- the style stays on the mature achenes
-
Growth form
- Rhizomes
-
- there are long rhizomes present
- 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
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 20–81
- 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 color
- the leaf sheath has no pink, red or purple tinting
- 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
- NA
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 0.5–1.6 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 0.5–1.6 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- bogs
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 10–60 cm
- Relative stem height
- the main stem is taller than the leaves
- Spike internode length
- 0 mm
- Stem cross-section
- the main stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- Stem spacing
-
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
- the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
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
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- historical (S-rank: SH), special concern, extirpated (code: SC*)
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
104. Carex pauciflora Lightf. N
few-flowered sedge. CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Bogs, usually in the open away from deep shade.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex collinsii:
- spikes usually 5 or 6 per stem and perigynium beak 3-4 mm long (vs. C. pauciflora, with spikes 1 per stem and perigynium beak up to 2 mm long).