Carex garberi — elk sedge
![Perigynia: Carex garberi. ~ By Gordon Morrison. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-garberi-pe-gmorrison.jpg)
![Inflorescence: Carex garberi. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-garberi-in-ahaines.jpg)
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.
enlargeFacts
Elk sedge is rare and protected in New England, where it is found in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, on calcareous river shores, outcrops and cobble. The Maine occurrences are on the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Aroostook Rivers, and the New Hampshire and Vermont occurrences are on the Connecticut River.
Habitat
Shores of rivers or lakes
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 1–3.5 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 staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 2–3 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
- NA
-
Flowers
- Bumps on fruit
- the perigynium surface has papillae on it
- Distance between perigynia
- 0.2–0.7 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 7–15 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 3–5 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
- NA
- Perigynium beak teeth length
- 0 mm
- Perigynium color
- glaucous (with a whitish bloom)
- Perigynium cross-section
-
- the perigynium is biconvex (convexly rounded on both sides, like a lens) in cross-section
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 2–3 mm
- Perigynium nerve texture
-
- NA
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- 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 obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Perigynium width
- 1.2–1.8 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 does not have an awn (it may have a short point)
- Scale awn texture
- NA
- Scale color
- brown
- Scale length
- 1.7–2.7 mm
- 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
- Staminate scale tip
-
- the staminate scale tip is acute (has a sharp point)
- the staminate scale tip is obtuse (has a blunt point)
- 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
- 1.4–2 mm
- Achene width
- 1–1.5 mm
- Style persistence
- the style falls off 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 folded lengthwise, with one prominent midvien
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 50–71
- 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 red dots on the translucent tissues of 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
- 1–3.5 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 1–3.5 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 5–40 cm
- Relative stem height
- the main stem is equal to or shorter 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
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- absent
- 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
- rare (S-rank: S2), special concern (code: SC)
- New Hampshire
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
- Vermont
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), threatened (code: T)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex aurea:
- perigynia becoming gold-orange and smooth or minutely papillose, lateral spikes relatively more sparsely flowered with internodes in the middle portion mostly 0.7-1.5 mm long, and uppermost spikes frequently entirely staminate (vs. C. garberi, with perigynia glaucous-white and densely papillose, lateral spikes densely flowered with internodes in the middle portion 0.2-0.7 mm long, and uppermost spike frequently gynecandrous).
Synonyms
- Carex garberi Fern. var. bifaria Fern.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
16. Carex garberi Fern. NC
elk sedge. Carex garberi Fern. var. bifaria Fern. • ME, NH, VT. River shores in high-pH bedrock and/or till regions, usually on seepy outcrops or cobble pavement.