Carex albursina — white bear sedge
![Inflorescence: Carex albursina. ~ By John Hilty. ~ Copyright © 2024 John Hilty. ~ john[at]illinoiswildflowers.info ~ Illinois Wildflowers - www.illinoiswildflowers.info/index.htm](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-albursina-in-jhilty.jpg)
![Leaves: Carex albursina. ~ By Christopher Noll. ~ Copyright © 2024 Christopher Noll. ~ clnoll[at]uwalumni.com ~ Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium, U. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-albursina-le-cnoll.jpg)
![Plant form: Carex albursina. ~ By Christopher Noll. ~ Copyright © 2024 Christopher Noll. ~ clnoll[at]uwalumni.com ~ Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium, U. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-albursina-ha-cnoll.jpg)
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
Facts
White bear sedge is one of the easier sedges to identify, due to its pale green vegetative blades up to 52 mm wide. It can also be distinguished by its large leafy bracts exceeding the spikelets in length, and the curved beaks of the perigynia. The color at the basal portion of the plant is mostly pale brown to brown. It is found in rocky rich-mesic forests.
Habitat
Forests, ridges or ledges
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
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 4–16 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
- 3–4.2 mm
- Leaf sheath color
-
- the leaf sheath has no pink, red or purple tinting
- the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
- 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
- Anther length
- 2–2.2 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
- 6–36 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- Up to 58 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 3–4.2 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.3–0.6 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
- the beak of the perigynium is curved, or angled out from 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
-
- brown
- yellow
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is trigonous (triangular) in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 3–4.2 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 perigynium is inflated (there is space between the perigynium and the achene)
- Perigynium shape
- the perigynium body is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Perigynium width
- 1.8–2.1 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 4–18 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1
- Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
- 0 mm
- Pollen-producing spike width
- 1.2–1.6 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
- 2.8–3.2 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 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
- 2.5–3.8 mm
- Achene width
- 1.6–1.8 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 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 length to width ratio
- 6–10
- 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
- the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
- 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
- 10–52 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 4–16 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- ridges or ledges
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 10–62 cm
- Relative stem height
- the main stem is taller than the leaves
- Stem cross-section
- the main stem has all three edges raised to narrow wing-like ridges
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Rhode Island
- concern (code: C)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
95. Carex albursina Sheldon N
white bear sedge. Carex laxiflora Lam. var. latifolia Boott • CT, MA, NH, VT. Rich, mesic forests, often rocky or with ledge outcrops.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex laxiflora:
- bract blade of distal-most lateral spike 0.5-3.4 mm wide, not concealing the spike, and stems 0.8-2 mm wide, unwinged or weakly winged (vs. C. albursina, with bract blade of distal-most lateral spike 3.2-8.3 mm wide, spathe-like and concealing the spike, and shoots, and stems 2-2.4 mm wide, distinctly winged).
Synonyms
- Carex laxiflora Lam. var. latifolia Boott