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- Dichotomous Key
- Cyperaceae
- Carex
- Carex Group 6
- Section Hymenochlaenae
- Carex aestivalis
Carex aestivalis — summer sedge
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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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Facts
Summer sedge is a species of deciduous forests that is found primarily in southern New England. It may rarely hybridize with graceful sedge (Carex gracillima).
Habitat
Forests
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.5–3 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 both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 2–3.2 mm
- Leaf sheath color
- the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
- Leaf blade texture
-
- the leaf blade is hairy
- the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
- Perigynium beak teeth
- NA
-
Flowers
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Distance between perigynia
- 1–3 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 15–50 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 5–25 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 3–3.5 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has no beak, or an extremely short beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
- NA
- Perigynium beak serrations
- NA
- Perigynium beak teeth
- NA
- Perigynium beak teeth length
- 0 mm
- Perigynium color
-
- brown
- green
- 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
- 2–3.2 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 14–17
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 7–8
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 7–8
- Perigynium orientation
- the perigynia are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis or adjacent perigynia
- Perigynium puffy
- the perigynium is inflated (there is space between the perigynium and the achene)
- 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
- 0.8–1 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
-
- green
- red-brown
- white or translucent
- Scale length
- 2.6–3.5 mm
- Scale tip
- 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 angled outwards, or arched over
- the spikes are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis
- 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 staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene dimples
- the achene has no folds or dimples
- Achene length
- 1.8–2.1 mm
- Achene width
- 0.8–1 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 mostly produced higher up on 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 hairy
- 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 is tinted pink, red or purple
- Leaf sheath dots
- there are red dots on the translucent tissues of the leaf sheathes
- Leaf sheath folds
- there are no corrugations on the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels rough, or has hairs
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 1.5–3 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.5–3 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- forests
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 25–60 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
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- 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
- rare (S-rank: S2), special concern (code: SC)
- Massachusetts
- rare to uncommon (S-rank: S2S3)
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex gracillima:
- leaves with glabrous sheaths and blades 3-9 mm wide (vs. C. aestivalis, with leaves with pubescent sheaths and blades 1.5-3 mm wide).
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
86. Carex aestivalis M.A. Curtis ex Gray N
summer sedge. CT, MA, NH, VT. Dry-mesic to mesic, often rocky, deciduous forests.