Carex bebbii — Bebb's sedge
![Inflorescence: Carex bebbii. ~ By Fred Weinmann. ~ Copyright © 2024 Fred Weinmann. ~ fweinmann[at]cablespeed.com ~ U. of Washington - WTU - Herbarium - biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-bebbii-in-fweinmann.jpg)
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Facts
Bebb's sedge has the characteristic, unusual among sedges, that it can reach reproductive maturity from seed in one season, making it a "facultative annual".
Habitat
Meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps
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
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.7–4.2 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 staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 2.5–3.8 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 divided at the top into two teeth
-
Flowers
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Inflorescence length
- 11–30 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 4–10 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 0 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 3–7 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 tiny serrations along the edges
- Perigynium beak teeth
- the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth
- Perigynium color
- brown
- 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
- 2.5–3.8 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- At least 4
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- At least 3
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 1–3
- 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
- 1–2 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has wings on it
- 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
- red-brown
- Scale length
- 2.5–3.5 mm
- Scale tip
-
- the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- the carpellate scale tip is acute (has a sharp 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
- Stigma branching
- the stigmas have two 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
- 1–1.3 mm
- Achene width
- 0.6–0.9 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 folded lengthwise, with one prominent midvien
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 60–65
- 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
- Ligule length
- 2.2–6 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
- 1.7–4.2 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.7–4.2 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- meadows or fields
- shores of rivers or lakes
- swamps
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 20–90 cm
- Relative stem height
- the main stem is taller than the leaves
- Spike internode length
- 1–4 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
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- 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.
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- New Hampshire
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), W (code: W)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
38. Carex bebbii Olney ex Fern. N
Bebb’s sedge. Carex tribuloides Wahlenb. var. bebbii Bailey • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Mesic to hydric, usually circumneutral, soils of swamps, meadows, shorelines, and seeps.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex crawfordii:
- carpellate scales acuminate to, more frequently, awned and perigynia 0.9-1.3 mm wide (vs. C. bebbii, with carpellate scales acute to acuminate and perigynia mostly 1.2-2 mm wide).
- Carex tincta:
- perigynia with 3-7 conspicuous veins on the adaxial surface and achenes 0.9-1.2 mm wide (vs. C. bebbii, with perigynia with 1-3 faint veins near the base and achenes 0.6-0.9 mm wide).
Synonyms
- Carex tribuloides Wahlenb. var. bebbii Bailey