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Carex striatula — lined sedge

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Facts

Lined sedge is rare in New England, occuring only in Connecticut, but it is more common to the south as far as Florida and Texas. It occurs in rich, often rocky forests and outcrops.

Habitat

Forests, ridges or ledges

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
terrestrial
New England state
Connecticut
stem leaf blade width
3–14 mm
Lowest bract sheath
the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
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
3.4–5 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 not divided at the tip into two teeth, or the teeth are very tiny
Show all characteristics
  • Flowers

    Anther length
    3–3.2 mm
    Bumps on fruit
    there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
    Distance between perigynia
    2.2–7.5 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
    22–62 mm
    Lowest spike stalk length
    0–50 mm
    Lowest spike width
    3–5 mm
    Perigynium beak
    the perigynium has a beak
    Perigynium beak length
    0.6–1.7 mm
    Perigynium beak orientation
    • the beak of the perigynium is curved, or angled out from the perigynium
    • 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
    • brown
    • yellow
    Perigynium cross-section
    the perigynium is trigonous (triangular) in cross-section
    Perigynium hairs
    the perigynium has no hairs
    Perigynium length
    3.4–5 mm
    Perigynium nerve number
    22–32
    Perigynium nerve texture
    the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
    Perigynium nerves lower side
    11–16
    Perigynium nerves upper side
    11–16
    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 obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
    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 length
    22–36 mm
    Pollen-producing spike number
    1
    Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
    4–120 mm
    Pollen-producing spike width
    2–3 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
    • green
    • white or translucent
    Scale length
    3.4–5 mm
    Scale tip
    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
    Staminate scale tip
    • the staminate scale tip is acute (has a sharp point)
    • the staminate scale tip is obtuse (has a blunt point)
    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
    Achene length
    2.2–4.6 mm
    Achene width
    1–1.8 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
    • the leaves are mostly produced higher up on the plant
    Leaf blade cross-section
    the leaf blade is flat or M-shaped, with two prominent side-veins
    Leaf blade length to width ratio
    32–100
    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
    Lowest leaf blade width
    3–14 mm
    Lowest leaf sheath texture
    the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
    stem leaf blade width
    3–14 mm
  • Place

    Habitat
    terrestrial
    New England state
    Connecticut
    Specific habitat
    • forests
    • ridges or ledges
  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Plant height
    45–62 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

Not classified

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
absent
Massachusetts
absent
New Hampshire
absent
Rhode Island
absent
Vermont
absent

Conservation status

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

Connecticut
unrankable (S-rank: SU)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

101.  Carex striatula Michx. NC

lined sedge. Carex laxiflora Lam. var. angustifolia Dewey • CT. Rich, mesic forests, often rocky or with ledge outcrops.

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Carex laxiflora:
perigynia 2.6-3.8 mm long, usually more abruptly tapered in the apical portion than the basal portion, and staminate spikes 12-26 mm long (vs. C. striatula, with perigynia 3.4-5 mm long, usually +/- evenly tapered in the apical and basal portions, and staminate spikes 22-36 mm long).

Synonyms

  • Carex laxiflora Lam. var. angustifolia Dewey

Family

Cyperaceae

Genus

Carex