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• Grass-like plants
• Sedges
• Carex pauciflora

Carex pauciflora — few-flowered sedge

Facts

Few-flowered sedge, a plant of open bogs, is unusual in that it displays mechanical throwing of seeds away from the plant (ballistic dispersal) to a distance of one or two feet when disturbed. The seeds are also somewhat sticky, and can adhere to clothing or animal fur for longer-distance dispersal.

Habitat

Bogs

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  there are no papillae on the perigynium surface

  Distance between perigynia

  0 mm

  Inflorescence length

  5–8 mm

  Length of scale

  the scale is shorter than the perigynium

  Lowest spike length

  5–8 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  0 mm

  Lowest spike width

  2–17 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  Perigynium beak length

  Up to 2 mm

  Perigynium beak orientation

  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

  tan

  Perigynium cross-section

  the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section

  Perigynium hairs

  the perigynium has no hairs

  Perigynium length

  5–7.8 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 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 lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the perigynium body is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)

  Perigynium width

  0.7–1.1 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

  tan

  Scale length

  3.7–5.9 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

  NA

  Spike orientation

  the spikes are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis

  Spikes per stem

  1

  Stigma branching

  the stigmas have three branches

  Top spike

  the uppermost spike contains both staminate and carpellate flowers, with the carpellate flowers located below, or intermixed with, the staminate flowers

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene dimples

  the achene has no folds or dimples

  Achene length

  2–2.4 mm

  Achene width

  0.8–1 mm

  Style persistence

  the style stays on the mature achenes

• Growth form

  Rhizomes

  • there are long rhizomes present
  • 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

  20–81

  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

  NA

  Lowest leaf blade width

  0.5–1.6 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

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

  stem leaf blade width

  0.5–1.6 mm

• Place

  Habitat

  wetlands

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  bogs

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  10–60 cm

  Relative stem height

  the main stem is taller than the leaves

  Spike internode length

  0 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
  • 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

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae