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- Carex Group 7
- Section Laxiflorae
- Carex striatula
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
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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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
-
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