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• Carex recta

Carex recta — estuary sedge

Facts

Estuary sedge is unusual in that it is a stable hybrid between water sedge (Carex aquatilis, a sedge of freshwater wetlands) and chaffy sedge (C. paleacea, a sedge of salt marshes). It shares a parent (C. paleacea) with swinging sedge (C. vacillans), and the two taxa are difficult to distinguish without careful study. Estuary sedge has a northern coastal distribution, occuring only in saline and brackish marshes and shores, in a few sites on the Maine coastline.

Habitat

Brackish or salt marshes and flats, intertidal, subtidal or open ocean, shores of rivers or lakes

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  the perigynium surface has papillae on it

  Length of scale

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

  Lowest spike length

  30–55 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  6–20 mm

  Lowest spike width

  2–6 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  Perigynium beak length

  0.2–0.3 mm

  Perigynium beak orientation

  the beak of the perigynium is straight, and in line with 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

  tan

  Perigynium cross-section

  • the perigynium is biconvex (convexly rounded on both sides, like a lens) in 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

  1.9–3.1 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  0–8

  Perigynium nerve texture

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

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  0–4

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  0–4

  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)

  Perigynium width

  1.2–2 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike number

  1–3

  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)
  • the carpellate scale awn has tiny teeth

  Scale color

  • brown
  • other

  Scale length

  2.8–5.5 mm

  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

  Stigma branching

  the stigmas have two branches

  Top spike

  the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene dimples

  the achene has a clear fold or dimple

  Style persistence

  the style falls off the mature achenes

• Growth form

  Rhizomes

  there are long rhizomes present

• Leaves

  Leaf arrangement

  the leaves are mostly produced higher up on the plant

  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
  • the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple

  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 no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)

  Lowest leaf blade width

  2.5–5 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

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

  stem leaf blade width

  2.5–5 mm

• Place

  Habitat

  wetlands

  New England state

  Maine

  Specific habitat

  • brackish or salt marshes and flats
  • intertidal, subtidal or open ocean
  • shores of rivers or lakes

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  25–80 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 singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)

Wetland status

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

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae