Carex wiegandii — Wiegand's sedge
![Inflorescence: Carex wiegandii. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Cyperaceae/carex-wiegandii-in-ahaines.jpg)
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Facts
Wiegand's sedge is endemic to northeastern North America, and is very rare in New England and throughout its range. It is named for Karl McKay Wiegand (1873-1942), a botanist and Cornell University professor.
Habitat
Bogs, forests, meadows and fields
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.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.7–5 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 is not borne on a peduncle
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the staminate flowers located below the carpellate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 2.55–3.75 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
- Anther length
- 0.7–1.3 mm
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Inflorescence length
- 8–30 mm
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Lowest spike length
- 4.5–8 mm
- Lowest spike stalk length
- 0 mm
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.55–1.35 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 divided at the top into two teeth
- Perigynium beak teeth length
- 0.2–0.5 mm
- Perigynium color
- brown
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is planoconvex (flat on one surface and rounded on the other) in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium has no hairs
- Perigynium length
- 2.55–3.75 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 5–28
- Perigynium nerve texture
- the nerves on the perigynium are raised, even after drying the perigynium
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 5–18
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 0–10
- Perigynium orientation
-
- the perigynia are angled outwards
- the perigynia are curved or bent downwards or backwards along the axis
- Perigynium puffy
- the perigynium is inflated (there is space between the perigynium and the achene)
- Perigynium shape
- the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)
- Perigynium width
- 1.25–2.1 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 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)
- Scale awn texture
- NA
- Scale color
- red-brown
- Scale length
- 1.45–2.2 mm
- 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 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 acute (has a sharp point)
- the staminate scale tip is obtuse (has a blunt point)
- Stigma branching
- the stigmas have two 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
- 1.4–1.9 mm
- Achene width
- 1.1–1.55 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 mostly produced higher up on the plant
- Leaf blade cross-section
- The leaf blade is folded lengthwise, with one prominent midvien
- Leaf blade length to width ratio
- 65–90
- 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
- Ligule length
- 0.9–2.5 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
- 1.7–5 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels smooth (it may have soft hairs)
- stem leaf blade width
- 1.7–5 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- bogs
- forests
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 10–105 cm
- Relative stem height
- the main stem is taller than the leaves
- Spike internode length
- 1.3–9.5 mm
- 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
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4), special concern (code: SC)
- Massachusetts
- historical (S-rank: SH), H (code: H)
- New Hampshire
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
176. Carex wiegandii Mackenzie N
Wiegand’s sedge. MA, ME, NH, VT. Bogs, often in shade or partial shade of Picea or Larix, low areas in evergreen forests, and peaty meadows.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex atlantica:
- perigynia broad-ovate to suborbicular, 1.5-3 mm wide, 1-1.7 times as long as wide (vs. C. wiegandii, with perigynia ovate to broad-ovate, mostly 1.4–2 mm wide, mostly 1.6–2.5 times as long as wide).
- Carex echinata:
- widest leaf blades 1-2.7 mm wide and beak of perigynium mostly 0.9-2 mm long, mostly 0.4-0.9 times as long as the body (vs. C. wiegandii, with widest leaf blades 2.8-5 mm wide and beak of perigynium mostly 0.5-1.1 mm long, mostly 0.2-0.5 times as long as the body).