Carex rostrata — beaked sedge
![Leaves: Carex rostrata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2025 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-rostrata-le-ahaines.jpg)
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
Facts
Beaked sedge is rare in New England, being found in only a few sites in far northern Maine and New Hampshire. It inhabits marshes, and lake and river shores. Plants are colonial from long rhizomes and have leaf blades that are u-shaped in cross section.
Habitat
Marshes, shores of rivers or lakes
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.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.5–4.5 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Spike on stalk
- the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 3.6–5.8 mm
- Leaf sheath color
-
- the leaf sheath has no pink, red or purple tinting
- the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
- 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
- 100–300 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 1–2 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 divided at the top into two teeth
- Perigynium beak teeth length
- 0.2–0.7 mm
- Perigynium color
-
- green
- tan
- 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
- 3.6–5.8 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 9–15
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 4–7
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 4–7
- Perigynium orientation
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- Perigynium puffy
- the perigynium is inflated (there is space between the perigynium and the achene)
- Perigynium shape
- the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)
- Perigynium width
- 1.7–2.8 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1–4
- 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
- green
- Scale length
- 2.5–8.8 mm
- Scale tip
-
- the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- the carpellate scale tip is acute (has a sharp 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 three branches
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene dimples
- the achene has no folds or dimples
- Style persistence
- the style stays on 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 cross-section
- The leaf blade is folded lengthwise, with one prominent midvien
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
- Leaf bumps
- 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
- 1.5–4.5 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.5–4.5 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- marshes
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 8–90 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 singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
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
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- extremely rare (uncertain) (S-rank: S1?)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
186. Carex rostrata Stokes N
beaked sedge. ME, NH, VT; northern portion of states. Lake shores, marshes, river shores, river channel sloughs.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex utriculata:
- leaf blades flat to V-shaped in cross-section, pale green to green, mostly 4.5–12 mm wide, smooth or rarely scabrous (vs. C. rostrata, with leaf blades U-shaped in cross-section, white-green, 1.5-4.5 mm wide, the adaxial surface minutely papillose).