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• Carex emoryi

Carex emoryi — Emory's sedge

Facts

Emory's sedge resembles water sedge (Carex aquatilis), but is much rarer, occuring only in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Emory's sedge has finely veined perigynia and a prolonged convex sheath apex.

Habitat

Marshes, shores of rivers or lakes

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bumps on fruit

  the perigynium surface has papillae on it

  Length of scale

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

  Lowest spike length

  25–100 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  At least 0 mm

  Lowest spike width

  3–5 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  Perigynium beak length

  0.1–0.3 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 divided at the top into two teeth

  Perigynium beak teeth length

  0 mm

  Perigynium color

  tan

  Perigynium cross-section

  • the perigynium is planoconvex (flat on one surface and rounded on the other) in cross-section
  • the perigynium is relatively flat in cross-section

  Perigynium hairs

  the perigynium has no hairs

  Perigynium length

  1.7–3.2 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  6–10

  Perigynium nerve texture

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

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  3–5

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  3–5

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

  Perigynium width

  1–2.1 mm

  Perigynium winged

  the perigynium has no wings

  Pollen- and seed-producing spikes

  some of the spikes produce perigynia

  Pollen-producing spike length

  15–50 mm

  Pollen-producing spike number

  2–3

  Scale awn

  The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)

  Scale awn texture

  NA

  Scale color

  • brown
  • red-brown

  Scale tip

  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 two 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
  • 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 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 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 smooth, and has no 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

  3–6 mm

  Lowest leaf sheath texture

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

  stem leaf blade width

  3–6 mm

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts

  Specific habitat

  • marshes
  • shores of rivers or lakes

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  30–115 cm

  Relative stem height

  • the main stem is equal to or shorter than the leaves
  • 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

Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae