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• Grass-like plants
• Sedges
• Carex sprengelii

Carex sprengelii — long-beaked sedge

Facts

Long-beaked sedge takes its specific epithet (sprengelii) from Kurt Polykarp Joachim Sprengel, 1766-1833, Prussian botanist and physician, who conducted some of the first microscopic studies of plants.

Habitat

Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests, shores of rivers or lakes

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  there are no papillae on the perigynium surface

  Distance between perigynia

  1 mm

  Length of scale

  the scale is shorter than the perigynium

  Lowest spike length

  10–35 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  20–60 mm

  Lowest spike width

  8–10 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  Perigynium beak length

  1.7–4 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

  1 mm

  Perigynium color

  • green
  • tan
  • yellow

  Perigynium cross-section

  • the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
  • the perigynium is trigonous (triangular) in cross-section

  Perigynium hairs

  the perigynium has no hairs

  Perigynium length

  4.5–6.5 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  0–2

  Perigynium nerve texture

  NA

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  0

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  0

  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)
  • the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)

  Perigynium width

  1.5–2 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike length

  10–20 mm

  Pollen-producing spike number

  1–2

  Pollen-producing spike peduncle length

  5–15 mm

  Pollen-producing spike width

  1.5–2 mm

  Scale awn

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

  Scale awn texture

  NA

  Scale color

  • red-brown
  • white or translucent

  Scale tip

  the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)

  Spike on stalk

  the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle

  Spike orientation

  • the spikes are angled outwards, or arched over
  • the spikes are bent downwards or droop downwards

  Spikes per stem

  2-15

  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
  • the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene dimples

  • the achene has a clear fold or dimple
  • the achene has no folds or dimples

  Achene length

  2–2.5 mm

  Achene width

  1.7–1.8 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 flat or M-shaped, with two prominent side-veins

  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

  • the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
  • the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)

  Lowest leaf blade width

  2.5–4 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

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

  stem leaf blade width

  2.5–4 mm

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • forests
  • river or stream floodplains
  • shores of rivers or lakes

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  30–90 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
  • the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)

Wetland status

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

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae