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- Carex sprengelii
Carex sprengelii — long-beaked sedge
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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.
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Facts
Long-beaked sedge takes its specific epithet (sprengelii) from Kurt Polykarp Joachim Sprengel, 1766-1833, Prussian botanist and physician, who conducted some of the first microscopic studies of plants.
Habitat
Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests, shores of rivers or lakes
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 2.5–4 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
-
- the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
- 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 both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the carpellate flowers located below, or intermixed with, the staminate flowers
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 4.5–6.5 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
- the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth
-
Flowers
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Distance between perigynia
- 1 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 10–35 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 20–60 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 8–10 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 1.7–4 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
- the beak of the perigynium is straight, and in line with the perigynium
- Perigynium beak serrations
- the perigynium beak has tiny serrations along the edges
- Perigynium beak teeth
- the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth
- Perigynium beak teeth length
- 1 mm
- Perigynium color
-
- green
- tan
- yellow
- 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
- 4.5–6.5 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 0–2
- Perigynium nerve texture
- NA
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 0
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 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 elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)
- Perigynium width
- 1.5–2 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 10–20 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1–2
- Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
- 5–15 mm
- Pollen-producing spike width
- 1.5–2 mm
- Scale awn
- The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)
- Scale awn texture
- NA
- Scale color
-
- red-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 angled outwards, or arched over
- the spikes are bent downwards or droop downwards
- Spikes per stem
- 2-15
- Stigma branching
- the stigmas have three branches
- Top spike
-
- the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the carpellate flowers located below, or intermixed with, the staminate flowers
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene dimples
-
- the achene has a clear fold or dimple
- the achene has no folds or dimples
- Achene length
- 2–2.5 mm
- Achene width
- 1.7–1.8 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 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
- 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
- Lowest bract sheath
-
- the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
- the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 2.5–4 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 2.5–4 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- river or stream floodplains
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 30–90 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
- the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- 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 to uncommon (S-rank: S2S3), special concern (code: SC)
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- New Hampshire
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), W (code: W)
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
94. Carex sprengelii Dewey ex Spreng. N
long-beaked sedge. Carex longirostris Torr. • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Deciduous forests and openings, usually associated with riparian systems on high-terrace floodplains or sloping river banks.