- You are here:
- Dichotomous Key
- Cyperaceae
- Carex
- Carex Group 4
- Section Gracilis
- Carex brunnea
Carex brunnea — greater brown sedge
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
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.
Facts
Greater brown sedge is distributed across northeastern Africa, temperate and tropical Asia, and Australia. It is a popular horticultural plant, and various cultivars have been developed, including a variegated one. In North America it has been recorded only from Massachusetts.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- stem leaf blade width
- 2–3 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 carpellate flowers located below, or intermixed with, the staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 3–3.5 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
- 15–30 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- Up to 1 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
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is planoconvex (flat on one surface and rounded on the other) in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 3–3.5 mm
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 9
- 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 orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 0
- Scale awn
-
- The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)
- the carpellate scale has an awn on it
- Scale color
-
- brown
- other
- tan
- Scale tip
-
- the carpellate scale tip is acute (has a sharp point)
- 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
- 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
-
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
- 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 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 rough, or has hairs
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 2–3 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels rough
- stem leaf blade width
- 2–3 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 40–70 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 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
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Native to North America?
No
Synonyms
- Carex brunnea Thunb. var. nakiri Ohwi
- Carex sendaica Franch. var. nakiri (Ohwi) Koyama
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
74. Carex brunnea Thunb. E
greater brown sedge. Carex brunnea Thunb. var. nakiri Ohwi; C. sendaica Franch. var. nakiri (Ohwi) Koyama • MA. Fields, waste areas.