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• Carex scirpoidea

Carex scirpoidea — Canadian single-spike sedge

Facts

Canadian single-spike sedge is a boreal and subalpine species of high-pH bedrock, that is occasionally found in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. This is an atypical sedge in that it is dioecious (individual plants having either male or female reproductive structures, but not both). Also, it typically has only one spike per inflorescence.

Habitat

Alpine or subalpine zones, cliffs, balds, or ledges, ridges or ledges

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  there are no papillae on the perigynium surface

  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

  10–30 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  0 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  Perigynium beak length

  0.1 mm

  Perigynium beak orientation

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

  Perigynium beak serrations

  the perigynium beak has no serrations

  Perigynium beak teeth

  • the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth
  • the perigynium beak is not divided at the tip into two teeth, or the teeth are very tiny

  Perigynium beak teeth length

  0–0.8 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 is hairy

  Perigynium length

  1.8–3 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  At least 0

  Perigynium nerve texture

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

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  At least 0

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  At least 0

  Perigynium orientation

  the perigynia are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis or adjacent perigynia

  Perigynium puffy

  the achene is tightly enclosed by the perigynium

  Perigynium shape

  the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)

  Perigynium width

  1–1.5 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  • all the spikes produce only pollen
  • some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike number

  0–1

  Pollen-producing spike peduncle length

  0 mm

  Scale awn

  The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)

  Scale awn texture

  NA

  Scale color

  • purple to black
  • red-brown

  Scale length

  2.5 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

  • NA
  • the lowest spike on the plant is not borne on a peduncle

  Spike orientation

  the spikes are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis

  Spikes per stem

  • 1
  • 2-15

  Stigma branching

  the stigmas have three branches

  Top spike

  • entirely carpellate
  • the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene dimples

  the achene has no folds or dimples

  Achene length

  1.5–1.8 mm

  Achene width

  0.8–1.2 mm

  Style persistence

  the style falls off the mature achenes

• Growth form

  Rhizomes

  there are no rhizomes, or the rhizomes are very short

• 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 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 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 rough, or has 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

  1–3 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

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

  stem leaf blade width

  1–3 mm

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Maine
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • alpine or subalpine zones
  • cliffs, balds, or ledges
  • ridges or ledges

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  5–40 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

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae