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• Grass-like plants
• Sedges
• Carex spicata

Carex spicata — prickly sedge

Facts

Prickly sedge is introduced from Europe and occupies fields, pastures, roadsides and lawns. It is one of the few species in its subgenus that possesses strongly red or purple-colored basal sheaths.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Anther length

  1.5–2.5 mm

  Bumps on fruit

  there are no papillae on the perigynium surface

  Inflorescence length

  10–40 mm

  Length of scale

  the scale is shorter than the perigynium

  Lowest spike length

  5–8 mm

  Lowest spike stalk length

  0 mm

  Perigynium beak

  the perigynium has a beak

  Perigynium beak length

  1.5–2 mm

  Perigynium beak orientation

  the beak of the perigynium is straight, and in line with the perigynium

  Perigynium beak serrations

  the perigynium beak has tiny serrations along the edges

  Perigynium beak teeth

  the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth

  Perigynium beak teeth length

  0.3–0.6 mm

  Perigynium color

  • brown
  • green

  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

  4–5.5 mm

  Perigynium nerve number

  0–7

  Perigynium nerve texture

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

  Perigynium nerves lower side

  0–7

  Perigynium nerves upper side

  0

  Perigynium orientation

  • the perigynia are angled outwards
  • the perigynia are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis or adjacent perigynia

  Perigynium shape

  • the perigynium body is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the perigynium body is ovate (egg-shaped)

  Perigynium width

  2.2–2.4 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

  • brown
  • green

  Scale length

  3.2–4.5 mm

  Scale tip

  the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow 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

  Stigma branching

  the stigmas have two 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

  2–2.3 mm

  Achene width

  2 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 smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery

  Leaf bumps

  the upper surface of the leaf blade has papillae on it

  Leaf sheath bumps

  the top edge of the leaf sheath has papillae on it

  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

  the leaf sheath has corrugations on it

  Leaf sheath texture

  the leaf sheath feels smooth, and has no hairs

  Ligule length

  3.5–8 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

  2–4 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

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  10–85 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

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae