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• Sedges
• Carex virescens

Carex virescens — ribbed sedge

Facts

Ribbed sedge is a sedge of dry to moist forests, like the similar Swan's sedge (Carex swanii). The two can be distinguished by the length of the uppermost spike of the inflorescence (in ribbed sedge it is 20 - 35 mm or longer, in Swan's sedge it is no more than 20 mm long). In ribbed sedge, the anthers are also longer at 1.6 - 2 mm, whereas in Swan's sedge they are shorter at 0.7 - 1.3 mm.

Habitat

Forests

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Anther length

  1–2.8 mm

  Bumps on fruit

  there are no papillae on the perigynium surface

  Length of scale

  the scale is nearly as long as, or longer than, the perigynium

  Lowest spike length

  18–35 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  At least 0 mm

  Lowest spike width

  2.5–3.5 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has no beak, or an extremely short beak

  Perigynium beak length

  0 mm

  Perigynium beak orientation

  NA

  Perigynium beak serrations

  NA

  Perigynium beak teeth

  NA

  Perigynium beak teeth length

  0 mm

  Perigynium color

  green

  Perigynium cross-section

  the perigynium is trigonous (triangular) in cross-section

  Perigynium hairs

  the perigynium is hairy

  Perigynium length

  1.9–2.5 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  7–12

  Perigynium nerve texture

  the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  3–6

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  3–6

  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 elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)

  Perigynium width

  1–1.4 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike length

  0 mm

  Pollen-producing spike number

  0

  Pollen-producing spike peduncle length

  0 mm

  Pollen-producing spike width

  0 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

  1.5–3.2 mm

  Scale tip

  • the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
  • 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
  • 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

  Staminate scale tip

  • the staminate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
  • 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 both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene dimples

  the achene has no folds or dimples

  Achene length

  1.5–2 mm

  Achene width

  0.8–1.1 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

  Leaf blade cross-section

  The leaf blade is folded lengthwise, with one prominent midvien

  Leaf blade texture

  the leaf blade is hairy

  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 no dots on the leaf sheathes

  Leaf sheath folds

  there are no corrugations on the leaf sheath

  Leaf sheath texture

  the leaf sheath feels rough, or has hairs

  Lowest bract sheath

  the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)

  Lowest leaf blade width

  2–4 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

  the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)

  stem leaf blade width

  2–4 mm

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  forests

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  30–100 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

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae