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- Dichotomous Key
- Cyperaceae
- Carex
- Carex Group 7
- Section Laxiflorae
- Carex blanda
Carex blanda — eastern woodland 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
Eastern woodland sedge is common and widespread and can become weedy.
Habitat
Forests
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 0.8–8 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
- the lowest spike on the plant is not borne on a peduncle
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 2.5–4.1 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
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 2–2.2 mm
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Distance between perigynia
- 0.9–2.4 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 15–18 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 0 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 3–4 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.2–0.5 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
- 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
- 2.5–4.1 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 22–39
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 11–19
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 11–19
- Perigynium orientation
-
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- 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 obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Perigynium width
- 1.3–2.2 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 9–20 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1
- Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
- 0–17 mm
- Pollen-producing spike width
- 1.8–2.4 mm
- Scale awn
- the carpellate scale has an awn on it
- Scale awn texture
- the carpellate scale awn has tiny teeth
- Scale color
-
- green
- white or translucent
- Scale length
- 2.8–3 mm
- Scale tip
- the carpellate scale tip is rounded to retuse (blunt or rounded, with a notch at the tip)
- Spike on stalk
-
- the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle
- 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
- Staminate scale tip
-
- the staminate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- the staminate scale tip is acute (has a sharp 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
- 2.1–3.2 mm
- Achene width
- 0.8–1.8 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
- the leaves are mostly produced higher up on the plant
- Leaf blade cross-section
-
- The leaf blade is folded lengthwise, with one prominent midvien
- the leaf blade is flat or M-shaped, with two prominent side-veins
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 36–140
- 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
- 1–10 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 0.8–8 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- forests
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 14–53 cm
- Relative stem height
-
- the main stem is equal to or shorter than the leaves
- the main stem is taller than the leaves
- Stem cross-section
-
- the main stem has all three edges raised to narrow wing-like ridges
- the main stem is roughly triangular in cross-section
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
New England distribution and conservation status
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)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex leptonervia:
- perigynia with only 2 prominent veins/ribs (vs. C. blanda, with perigynia with 22-39 distinct veins).
- Carex styloflexa:
- perigynia tapering to a straight or merely outcurved beak 0.5–1.7 mm long and staminate scales 3.2–4.2 x 1–1.2 mm (vs. C. blanda, with perigynia abruptly tapering to a short, bent beak 0.2–0.5 mm long, and staminate scales 1.8–3.2 x 1.4–1.8 mm).
Synonyms
- Carex laxiflora var. blanda (Dewey) Boott
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
96. Carex blanda Dewey N
eastern woodland sedge. Carex laxiflora Lam. var. blanda (Dewey) Boott • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Deciduous or evergreen-deciduous forests.