Carex vaginata — sheathed sedge
![Inflorescence: Carex vaginata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-vaginata-in-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Inflorescence: Carex vaginata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com:443/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-vaginata-in-ahaines-b.jpg)
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeFacts
Sheathed sedge is endangered in New England, where the southern limit of the range of this circumpolar species dips into Maine and Vermont. It is found in white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) swamps and fens.
Habitat
Fens, forests, swamps
Characteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.5–4 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
- 3.5–5 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
-
- the perigynium surface has papillae on it
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Inflorescence length
- 65–250 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 8–30 mm
- Lowest spike width
- 3–6.5 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.6–1.8 mm
- Perigynium beak orientation
- the beak of the perigynium is curved, or angled out from 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 color
-
- brown
- yellow
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 3.5–5 mm
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium orientation
-
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- 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 obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- Perigynium width
- 1.5–2.2 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 10–20 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1
- 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
- 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
- the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle
- Spike orientation
- the spikes are angled outwards, or arched over
- 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
- Achene length
- 2.2–3 mm
- Achene width
- 1.2–1.5 mm
- Style persistence
- the style falls off 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 length to width ratio
- 33–100
- 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
- the upper surface of the leaf blade has papillae on it
- Leaf sheath bumps
-
- the top edge of the leaf sheath has papillae on it
- 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
- Ligule length
- 2–4.5 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has a sheath longer than four millimeters
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 1.5–4 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.5–4 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- fens
- forests
- swamps
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 7–60 cm
- Relative stem height
-
- the main stem is equal to or shorter than the leaves
- the main stem is taller than the leaves
- Spike internode length
- 2–5 mm
- 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)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), special concern (code: SC)
- Vermont
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex polymorpha:
- lower leaf sheaths strongly tinged with anthocyanin and perigynia with minute papillae, the lower ones densely arranged (vs. C. vaginata, with lower leaf sheaths of reproductive stems pale brown and perigynia without minute papillae or these sparse, the lower ones of each spike loosely arranged).
Synonyms
- Carex saltuensis Bailey
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
129. Carex vaginata Tausch NC
sheathed sedge. Carex saltuensis Bailey • ME, VT; also reported from NH by Rothrock and Reznicek (2002), but specimens are unknown. Evergreen swamps dominated by Thuja occidentalis, wooded fens.