Carex vestita — velvet sedge
![Inflorescence: Carex vestita. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-vestita-in-ahaines-b.jpg)
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Facts
Velvet sedge is a colonial sedge with a distribution centered in the mid-atlantic states, but it is also found in New England. It grows in open, sandy areas. Velvet sedge is endangered in Maine, where it reaches the northern limit of its range.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), grassland, meadows and fields, sandplains and barrens, woodlands
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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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- stem leaf blade width
- 2.2–5.5 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 is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.8–4.5 mm
- Leaf sheath color
- the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
- Leaf blade texture
-
- the leaf blade is hairy
- 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
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Inflorescence length
- 30–100 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
- 15–25 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- At least 0 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.9–1.4 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 not divided at the tip into two teeth, or the teeth are very tiny
- Perigynium color
- green
- Perigynium cross-section
-
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- the perigynium is trigonous (triangular) in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 2.8–4.5 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 10–14
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 5–7
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 5–7
- 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
- 1.3–2.1 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 20–50 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1–2
- Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
- 2–20 mm
- 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 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 falls off the mature achenes
-
Growth form
- Rhizomes
- there are long rhizomes present
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- 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 texture
-
- the leaf blade is hairy
- 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 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
- 1.2–9 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
- 2.2–5.5 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 2.2–5.5 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Specific habitat
-
- grasslands
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- sandplains or barrens
- woodlands
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 25–90 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 singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- 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.
- Maine
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
- New Hampshire
- unrankable (S-rank: SU), Ind (code: Ind)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
123. Carex vestita Willd. N
velvet sedge. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI. Dry-mesic to wet-mesic, open, sandy soils of fields, roadsides, sandplains, and woodlands.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex houghtoniana:
- beak of perigynium with distinct teeth 0.5-0.8 mm long and inflorescence with 1-3 staminate spikes borne of peduncles mostly 20-90 mm long (vs. C. vestita, with beak of perigyium with soft, hyaline, obscure teeth and inflorescence with 1 or rarely 2 staminate spikes borne on peduncles 2-20 mm long).