Carex annectens — yellow-fruited sedge
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![Perigynia: Carex annectens. ~ 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-annectens-pe-jhilty.jpg)
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Facts
Yellow-fruited sedge is similar in appearance to common fox sedge (Carex vulpinoidea), but in yellow-fruited sedge the flowering stems are longer than the leaves, while in common fox sedge the flowering stems are shorter than the leaves.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
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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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 2–6 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Spike on stalk
- the lowest spike on the plant is not borne on a peduncle
- 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
- 2.2–3 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 divided at the top into two teeth
-
Flowers
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Inflorescence length
- 40–70 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is nearly as long as, or longer than, the perigynium
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 0 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.5–1.2 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
- the beak of the perigynium is straight, and in line with the perigynium
- Perigynium beak serrations
- the perigynium beak has tiny serrations along the edges
- Perigynium beak teeth
- the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth
- Perigynium color
-
- brown
- yellow
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is planoconvex (flat on one surface and rounded on the other) in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 2.2–3 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- At least 3
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 3
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- At least 0
- Perigynium orientation
-
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- 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
- 1.5–2.2 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 has an awn on it
- Scale awn texture
- the carpellate scale awn has tiny teeth
- Scale color
- red-brown
- Scale tip
- the carpellate scale tip is obtuse (has a blunt point)
- Spike on stalk
- the lowest spike on the plant is not borne on a peduncle
- Spike orientation
- the spikes are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis
- Spikes per stem
-
- 2-15
- more than 15
- Stigma branching
- the stigmas have two 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
- 1.2–1.5 mm
- Achene width
- 1–1.2 mm
- Style persistence
- the style falls off 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
- 120
- 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 red dots on the translucent tissues of the leaf sheathes
- Leaf sheath folds
- the leaf sheath has corrugations on it
- Leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth, and has no hairs
- Ligule length
- Up to 3 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 2–6 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 2–6 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- Up to 75 cm
- Relative stem height
- the main stem is taller than the leaves
- Spike internode length
- Up to 15 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
Wetland status
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- 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
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
115. Carex annectens (Bickn.) Bickn. N
yellow-fruited sedge. Carex brachyglossa Mackenzie; C. setacea Dewey var. ambigua (Barratt ex Boott) Fern.; C. xanthocarpa Bickn. var. annectens Bickn. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Mesic to hydric open areas such as low fields, meadows, and ditches.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex vulpinoidea:
- leaves taller than the flowering stem and perigynium beak one-third to one-half as long as the perigynium body (vs. C. annectens, with leaves shorter than the flower stem and perigynium beak up to one-third as long as the perigynium body).
Synonyms
- Carex brachyglossa Mackenzie
- Carex setacea Dewey var. ambigua (Barratt ex Boott) Fern.
- Carex xanthocarpa Bickn. var. annectens Bickn.