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Carex abscondita — thicket sedge

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Facts

Thicket sedge is one of a group having forty or more closely-spaced veins on the perigynia. The flowering stems, borne from near the base of the plant, are much shorter than the vegetative shoots.

Habitat

Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
terrestrial
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • Rhode Island
stem leaf blade width
3–9 mm
Lowest bract sheath
the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
Spike on stalk
the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle
Top spike
the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
Perigynium hairs
the perigynium has no hairs
Perigynium length
2.8–4.2 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
Show all characteristics

  • Flowers

    Anther length
    1.2–1.8 mm
    Bumps on fruit
    there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
    Length of scale
    the scale is shorter than the perigynium
    Lowest spike length
    6–12 mm
    Lowest spike stalk length
    3–15 mm
    Lowest spike width
    3.5–6 mm
    Perigynium beak
    the perigynium has a beak
    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 trigonous (triangular) in cross-section
    Perigynium hairs
    the perigynium has no hairs
    Perigynium length
    2.8–4.2 mm
    Perigynium nerve number
    At least 16
    Perigynium nerve texture
    the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
    Perigynium nerves lower side
    At least 8
    Perigynium nerves upper side
    At least 8
    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 obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
    Perigynium width
    1.4–2 mm
    Perigynium winged
    the perigynium has no wings
    Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
    some of the spikes produce perigynia
    Pollen-producing spike length
    5–12 mm
    Pollen-producing spike number
    1
    Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
    At least 0 mm
    Pollen-producing spike width
    0.6–1.6 mm
    Scale awn
    The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)
    Scale awn texture
    NA
    Scale color
    • green
    • white or translucent
    Scale length
    1.5–2 mm
    Scale tip
    the carpellate scale tip is acute (has a sharp 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
    Staminate scale tip
    the staminate scale tip is obtuse (has a blunt point)
    Stigma branching
    the stigmas have three branches
    Top spike
    the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers

  • Fruits or seeds

    Achene dimples
    the achene has no folds or dimples
    Achene length
    2.6–4 mm
    Achene width
    1.2–1.8 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 length to width ratio
    37–42
    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
    Lowest leaf blade width
    3–9 mm
    Lowest leaf sheath texture
    the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
    stem leaf blade width
    3–9 mm

  • Place

    Habitat
    terrestrial
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Massachusetts
    • Rhode Island
    Specific habitat
    • forests
    • river or stream floodplains

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Plant height
    7–30 cm
    Relative stem height
    the main stem is equal to or shorter 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)

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
absent
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
absent
Rhode Island
present
Vermont
absent

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
rare (uncertain) (S-rank: S2?)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

21.  Carex abscondita Mackenzie N

thicket sedge. Carex abscondita Mackenzie var. glauca (Chapman) Fern. • CT, MA, RI; also reported from NH by Magee and Ahles (1999), but specimens are unknown. Rich, mesic forests, riparian forests.

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Carex digitalis:
staminate spikes mostly 1.2-2.7 mm wide, staminate scales acute at apex, mostly 3.6-5.5 mm long, and vegetative shoots shorter than to slightly taller than flowering stems (vs. C. abscondita, staminate spikes mostly 0.6-1.4 mm wide, staminate scales obtuse at the apex, mostly 2.6-3.6 mm long, and vegetative shoots much taller than the flowering stems).
Carex laxiculmis:
staminate spikes 1.2-2.7 mm wide, staminate scales acute at apex, 3.3-4.5 mm long, and vegetative shoots shorter than to slightly taller than flowering stems (vs. C. abscondita, staminate spikes mostly 0.6-1.4 mm wide, staminate scales obtuse at the apex, mostly 2.6-3.6 mm long, and vegetative shoots much taller than the flowering stems).

Synonyms

  • Carex abscondita Mackenzie var. glauca (Chapman) Fern.

Family

Cyperaceae

Genus

Carex