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Carex conoidea - (image 1 of 3)

Taxonomy

Family: Cyperaceae

Section Griseae

Habitat

Moist open places.

Associates

Distribution

Newfoundland and Quebec to MN, south to NC and MO.

Morphology

Tufted perennial, 10-70 cm; stems usually much surpassing the leaves; main leaves 2-4 mm wide; peduncles and axis of inflorescence scabrous; terminal spike staminate, 1-2 cm, linear, long-peduncled, usually much surpassing the uppermost pistillate spike; pistillate spikes 2-4, widely separate or the upper two contiguous, short-cylindric, 1-2 cm, on short and rough peduncles; bracts foliaceous, the margins of the sheaths rough; pistillate scales ovate, much shorter than the perigynia, the midvein green and usually excurrent into a short and very rough awn; perigynia ellipsoid, 2.5-3.8 mm, beakless, with numerous impressed nerves; achene concavely trigonous.

Notes

Fruiting late May to July

Wetland indicator: FACW

An early successional species, hence the name old-field sedge. Dwarf plants that occur on gravelly shores in the northern part of its range have been called C. katahdinensis Fernald but are widely regarded as representing an ecotype rather than a distinct species.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

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