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Native Plant Trust: Go Botany Discover thousands of New England plants

Carex striata — Walter's sedge

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Facts

Walter's sedge is rare in New England, where it reaches the northern limit of its distribution along the eastern seaboard. It grows in peaty swamps, bogs and shorelines. It occurs in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

Habitat

Bogs, fens, marshes, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
wetlands
New England state
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
stem leaf blade width
2.6–6 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
  • the lowest spike on the plant is not borne on a peduncle
Top spike
the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
Perigynium hairs
the perigynium has no hairs
Perigynium length
3.9–7 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
Show all characteristics

  • Flowers

    Bumps on fruit
    there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
    Inflorescence length
    90–450 mm
    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
    20–40 mm
    Lowest spike stalk length
    At least 0 mm
    Perigynium beak
    the perigynium has a beak
    Perigynium beak length
    0.5–1.3 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 divided at the top into two teeth
    Perigynium beak teeth length
    0.1–0.6 mm
    Perigynium color
    • brown
    • green
    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
    3.9–7 mm
    Perigynium nerve number
    14–22
    Perigynium nerve texture
    the nerves on the perigynium are flat or concave after drying
    Perigynium nerves lower side
    7–11
    Perigynium nerves upper side
    7–11
    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
    2–3.3 mm
    Perigynium winged
    the perigynium has no wings
    Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
    some of the spikes produce perigynia
    Pollen-producing spike length
    30–50 mm
    Pollen-producing spike number
    1–3
    Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
    20–150 mm
    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 awn texture
    • NA
    • the carpellate scale awn does not have teeth (it may or may not have hairs)
    Scale color
    • purple to black
    • red-brown
    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
    • 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
    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 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
    • the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
    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
    Ligule length
    1.8–12.5 mm
    Lowest bract sheath
    the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
    Lowest leaf blade width
    2.6–6 mm
    Lowest leaf sheath texture
    the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
    stem leaf blade width
    2.6–6 mm

  • Place

    Habitat
    wetlands
    New England state
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    Specific habitat
    • bogs
    • edges of wetlands
    • fens
    • marshes
    • shores of rivers or lakes
    • swamps

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Plant height
    40–90 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 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
absent
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
present
Vermont
absent

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
New Hampshire
extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
Rhode Island
extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state endangered (code: SE)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

122.  Carex striata Michx. NC

Walter’s sedge. Carex striata Michx. var. brevis Bailey; C. walteriana Bailey • MA, NH, RI. 
Peaty shorelines, lakeside fens, and graminoid marshes.

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Carex lacustris:
leaf blades mostly 8.5-21 mm wide and the longest ligules 13-40 mm long (vs. C. striata, with leaf blades mostly 2.6-5 mm wide and the longest ligules 1.8-12.5 mm long).
Carex acutiformis:
perigynia 3-4.5 mm long, glaucous, with a beak 0.3-0.6 mm long that is weakly bidentate with apical teeth up to 0.2 mm long (vs. C. striata, with perigynia 3.9-7 mm long, not glaucous, with a beak 0.5-1.3 mm long that is terminated by 2 distinct teeth mostly 0.2-0.6 mm long).

Synonyms

  • Carex striata Michx. var. brevis Bailey
  • Carex walteriana Bailey

Family

Cyperaceae

Genus

Carex