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• Grass-like plants
• Sedges
• Carex folliculata

Carex folliculata — northern long sedge

Facts

Northern long sedge has recently been found to have compounds with antioxidents that have health benefits and could potentially be used as food additives.

Habitat

Marshes, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Anther length

  3–5 mm

  Bumps on fruit

  there are no papillae on the perigynium surface

  Inflorescence length

  150–850 mm

  Length of scale

  • the scale is nearly as long as, or longer than, the perigynium
  • the scale is shorter than the perigynium

  Lowest spike length

  15–30 mm

  Lowest spike width

  15–30 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has no beak, or an extremely short beak

  Perigynium beak length

  0 mm

  Perigynium beak orientation

  NA

  Perigynium beak serrations

  NA

  Perigynium beak teeth

  the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth

  Perigynium beak teeth length

  0.5–1 mm

  Perigynium color

  green

  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

  10.3–15.6 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  18–26

  Perigynium nerve texture

  the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  9–13

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  9–13

  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 lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)

  Perigynium width

  1.8–3.3 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike length

  12–40 mm

  Pollen-producing spike number

  1

  Scale awn

  the carpellate scale has an awn on it

  Scale awn texture

  the carpellate scale awn does not have teeth (it may or may not have hairs)

  Scale color

  • brown
  • white or translucent

  Scale tip

  the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)

  Spike on stalk

  the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle

  Spike orientation

  • the spikes are bent downwards or droop downwards
  • 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)

  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

  3.2–4.5 mm

  Achene width

  1.5–2.3 mm

  Style persistence

  the style stays on the mature achenes

• Growth form

  Rhizomes

  there are long rhizomes present

• Leaves

  Leaf arrangement

  the leaves are all produced from the base of the plant

  Leaf blade cross-section

  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
  • the upper surface of the leaf blade has papillae on it

  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

  2.5–10 mm

  Lowest bract sheath

  the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters

  Lowest leaf blade width

  6–21 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

  the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)

  stem leaf blade width

  6–21 mm

• Place

  Habitat

  wetlands

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • marshes
  • shores of rivers or lakes
  • swamps

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  25–175 cm

  Relative stem height

  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

Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae