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carex scabre, eastern rough sedge

carex de nouvelle-angleterre, New England sedge

Habit Plants loosely cespitose; rhizomes ascending to erect, reddish to reddish brown, 0–10(–20) mm, slender.
Culms

brownish at base, 30–90 cm.

5–40 cm, weakly scabrous distally;

bases not fibrous.

Leaves

sheaths glabrous;

ligules 11–43(–53) mm;

blades dark green, 10–40 cm × 4–8(–12) mm, those of prominent sterile shoots to 18 mm wide, prominently scabrous on adaxial surface.

blades green, equaling or exceeding culms, 0.7–1.5 mm wide, herbaceous, smooth to papillose abaxially, weakly scabrous adaxially.

Inflorescences

with both staminate and proximal spikes;

peduncles of staminate spikes 1.9–5.9 mm;

proximal nonbasal bracts leaflike, equaling or shorter than inflorescences.

Spikes

4–7(–9), oblong to short-cylindric;

proximal spikes long-peduncled (occasionally branched), the distal progressively less so or subsessile; pistillate spikes closely 10–160-flowered (70–230-flowered if branched), 1–5.5(–7) cm × 5.5–8(–9) mm; staminate spike 1.5–5 cm.

proximal pistillate spikes 2–3 (basal spikes 0);

cauline spikes remote, nonoverlapping, proximal 2 usually separated by more than 7 mm, with 3–10 perigynia; staminate spikes 4–15 × 0.7–1.3 mm.

Perigynia

olive-green, 2-ribbed, strongly 6–8-veined, obovoid, 3.4–4.5 mm, minutely scabrous-puberulent;

beak 1.3–1.9 mm, orifice obscurely bidentate.

pale green, veinless, ellipsoid, 2.2–2.6 × 0.8–1 mm, longer than wide;

beak 0.3–0.7 mm, straight, pale green, apical teeth 0.2–0.3 mm.

Achenes

obovoid, 1.8–2.3 × 1.2–1.5 mm.

dark brown, obovoid to ellipsoid, acutely trigonous in cross section, 1.4–1.7 × 0.7–0.9 mm.

Pistillate

scales nearly equaling bodies of perigynia, apex acute, acuminate, or short-awned, ciliolate.

Scales

pistillate scales pale brown to pale reddish brown, ovate, 2–2.5 × 1–1.4 mm, shorter than to equaling perigynia, apex cuspidate to acuminate; staminate scales oblong to oblanceolate, 3.1–4.6 × 0.7–1.3 mm, apex long-acuminate to obtuse.

Anthers

1.5–2.1 mm.

Stigmas

3.

2n

= 54.

Carex scabrata

Carex novae-angliae

Phenology Fruiting Jun (mid May in South)–early Sep. Fruiting early Jun–early Jul.
Habitat Wet woods, springy thickets, especially seepage slopes, creek borders, ravine bottoms, or other wet spots in rich deciduous woods, less often in wet clearings and swamps, in calcareous, circumneutral, or acidic soils Moist to mesic sites, in shade or partial shade under mixed deciduous forests, occasionally under spruce-hemlock canopies
Elevation 20–2000 m (100–6600 ft) 100–1000 m (300–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; GA; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; NH; NY; PA; SC; VT; WI; WV; NB; NL; NS; ON; QC; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Carex scabrata is most common in the upland portions of its range, extending southward in the Appalachian system and reappearing westward (known from one historic collection each) in the Ozarks and Ouachitas.

There are reports for the supposed hybrid Carex crinita Lamarck × C. scabrata, described by M. L. Fernald (1895) and subsequently mentioned in lists of New England plants and by B. L. Robinson and M. L. Fernald (1908) and M. L. Fernald (1950). Fernald (1950) also listed a second hybrid of very similar parentage and equally doubtful status, C. gynandra Schweinitz × C. scabrata. Four specimens (in GH) supposedly representing both parental combinations are all C. gynandra (fide L. A. Standley, pers. comm).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Recently discovered plants on the coastal plain in South Carolina resemble Carex novae-angliae in habit and perigynium features and have well-developed basal spikes. They require further study to determine their relationships with other members of the section.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 23, p. 486. FNA vol. 23, p. 540.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Anomalae Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Acrocystis
Sibling taxa
C. aboriginum, C. abrupta, C. abscondita, C. acidicola, C. acutiformis, C. adelostoma, C. adusta, C. aestivalis, C. aggregata, C. alata, C. albicans, C. albida, C. albolutescens, C. albonigra, C. albursina, C. alma, C. alopecoidea, C. amphibola, C. amplectens, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. annectens, C. anthoxanthea, C. aperta, C. appalachica, C. aquatilis, C. arapahoensis, C. arcta, C. arctata, C. arctiformis, C. arenaria, C. argyrantha, C. arkansana, C. assiniboinensis, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atlantica, C. atrata, C. atratiformis, C. atrofusca, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. aureolensis, C. austrina, C. austrocaroliniana, C. backii, C. baileyi, C. baltzellii, C. barbarae, C. barrattii, C. basiantha, C. bebbii, C. bella, C. bicknellii, C. bicolor, C. bigelowii, C. biltmoreana, C. blanda, C. bolanderi, C. bonanzensis, C. brainerdii, C. brevicaulis, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. bromoides, C. brunnescens, C. brysonii, C. bulbostylis, C. bullata, C. bushii, C. buxbaumii, C. calcifugens, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. careyana, C. caroliniana, C. caryophyllea, C. castanea, C. cephaloidea, C. cephalophora, C. chalciolepis, C. chapmanii, C. cherokeensis, C. chihuahuensis, C. chordorrhiza, C. circinata, C. collinsii, C. communis, C. comosa, C. complanata, C. concinna, C. concinnoides, C. congdonii, C. conjuncta, C. conoidea, C. constanceana, C. cordillerana, C. corrugata, C. crawei, C. crawfordii, C. crebriflora, C. crinita, C. cristatella, C. crus-corvi, C. cryptolepis, C. cumberlandensis, C. cumulata, C. curatorum, C. cusickii, C. dasycarpa, C. davisii, C. davyi, C. debilis, C. decomposita, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. deweyana, C. diandra, C. digitalis, C. diluta, C. disperma, C. distans, C. disticha, C. divisa, C. divulsa, C. douglasii, C. duriuscula, C. ebenea, C. eburnea, C. echinata, C. edwardsiana, C. egglestonii, C. eleusinoides, C. elliottii, C. elynoides, C. emoryi, C. endlichii, C. engelmannii, C. epapillosa, C. exilis, C. exsiccata, C. extensa, C. festucacea, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. fissa, C. fissuricola, C. flacca, C. flaccosperma, C. flava, C. floridana, C. foenea, C. folliculata, C. formosa, C. fracta, C. frankii, C. fuliginosa, C. garberi, C. geophila, C. geyeri, C. gholsonii, C. gigantea, C. glacialis, C. glareosa, C. glaucescens, C. glaucodea, C. globosa, C. gmelinii, C. godfreyi, C. gracilescens, C. gracilior, C. gracillima, C. granularis, C. gravida, C. grayi, C. grisea, C. gynandra, C. gynocrates, C. gynodynama, C. halliana, C. hallii, C. harfordii, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. haydenii, C. heleonastes, C. helleri, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. heterostachya, C. hirsutella, C. hirta, C. hirtifolia, C. hirtissima, C. hitchcockiana, C. holostoma, C. hoodii, C. hookeriana, C. hormathodes, C. hostiana, C. houghtoniana, C. hyalina, C. hyalinolepis, C. hystericina, C. idahoa, C. illota, C. impressinervia, C. incurviformis, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. intumescens, C. jamesii, C. jonesii, C. joorii, C. juniperorum, C. kobomugi, C. kraliana, C. krausei, C. lachenalii, C. lacustris, C. laeviconica, C. laeviculmis, C. laevivaginata, C. lapponica, C. lasiocarpa, C. latebracteata, C. lativena, C. laxa, C. laxiculmis, C. laxiflora, C. leavenworthii, C. lemmonii, C. lenticularis, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptonervia, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. loliacea, C. lonchocarpa, C. longii, C. louisianica, C. lucorum, C. lupuliformis, C. lupulina, C. lurida, C. lutea, C. luzulifolia, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. mackenziei, C. macloviana, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. magellanica, C. manhartii, C. marina, C. mariposana, C. maritima, C. mckittrickensis, C. meadii, C. media, C. melanostachya, C. membranacea, C. mendocinensis, C. merritt-fernaldii, C. mertensii, C. mesochorea, C. michauxiana, C. microchaeta, C. microdonta, C. microglochin, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. misera, C. missouriensis, C. mitchelliana, C. molesta, C. molestiformis, C. muehlenbergii, C. multicaulis, C. multicostata, C. muricata, C. muriculata, C. muskingumensis, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. nelsonii, C. nervina, C. neurophora, C. nigra, C. nigricans, C. nigromarginata, C. normalis, C. norvegica, C. nova, C. novae-angliae, C. nudata, C. obispoensis, C. obnupta, C. obtusata, C. occidentalis, C. oklahomensis, C. oligocarpa, C. oligosperma, C. opaca, C. oreocharis, C. ormostachya, C. oronensis, C. ouachitana, C. ovalis, C. oxylepis, C. ozarkana, C. pachystachya, C. paeninsulae, C. paleacea, C. pallescens, C. panicea, C. pansa, C. parallela, C. parryana, C. pauciflora, C. paysonis, C. peckii, C. pedunculata, C. pellita, C. pelocarpa, C. pendula, C. pensylvanica, C. perdentata, C. perglobosa, C. petasata, C. petricosa, C. phaeocephala, C. picta, C. pigra, C. pityophila, C. planispicata, C. planostachys, C. plantaginea, C. platyphylla, C. pluriflora, C. podocarpa, C. polymorpha, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. prairea, C. prasina, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. projecta, C. proposita, C. pseudocyperus, C. pumila, C. purpurifera, C. radfordii, C. radiata, C. ramenskii, C. rariflora, C. raynoldsii, C. recta, C. reniformis, C. retroflexa, C. retrorsa, C. richardsonii, C. roanensis, C. rosea, C. rossii, C. rostrata, C. rotundata, C. rufina, C. rupestris, C. ruthii, C. sabulosa, C. salina, C. sartwelliana, C. sartwellii, C. saxatilis, C. saximontana, C. scabriuscula, C. schottii, C. schweinitzii, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. senta, C. seorsa, C. serpenticola, C. serratodens, C. sheldonii, C. shinnersii, C. shortiana, C. siccata, C. silicea, C. simulata, C. socialis, C. sparganioides, C. specifica, C. spectabilis, C. specuicola, C. spicata, C. spissa, C. sprengelii, C. squarrosa, C. stenoptila, C. sterilis, C. stevenii, C. stipata, C. straminea, C. straminiformis, C. striata, C. striatula, C. stricta, C. styloflexa, C. stylosa, C. subbracteata, C. suberecta, C. subfusca, C. subnigricans, C. subspathacea, C. superata, C. supina, C. swanii, C. sychnocephala, C. sylvatica, C. tahoensis, C. tenax, C. tenera, C. tenuiflora, C. tetanica, C. tetrastachya, C. texensis, C. thornei, C. thurberi, C. timida, C. tincta, C. tompkinsii, C. tonsa, C. torreyi, C. torta, C. triangularis, C. tribuloides, C. trichocarpa, C. triquetra, C. trisperma, C. tuckermanii, C. tumulicola, C. turbinata, C. turgescens, C. typhina, C. umbellata, C. unilateralis, C. ursina, C. utriculata, C. vacillans, C. vaginata, C. vallicola, C. venusta, C. vernacula, C. verrucosa, C. vesicaria, C. vestita, C. vexans, C. virescens, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. whitneyi, C. wiegandii, C. willdenowii, C. williamsii, C. woodii, C. wootonii, C. xerantica
C. aboriginum, C. abrupta, C. abscondita, C. acidicola, C. acutiformis, C. adelostoma, C. adusta, C. aestivalis, C. aggregata, C. alata, C. albicans, C. albida, C. albolutescens, C. albonigra, C. albursina, C. alma, C. alopecoidea, C. amphibola, C. amplectens, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. annectens, C. anthoxanthea, C. aperta, C. appalachica, C. aquatilis, C. arapahoensis, C. arcta, C. arctata, C. arctiformis, C. arenaria, C. argyrantha, C. arkansana, C. assiniboinensis, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atlantica, C. atrata, C. atratiformis, C. atrofusca, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. aureolensis, C. austrina, C. austrocaroliniana, C. backii, C. baileyi, C. baltzellii, C. barbarae, C. barrattii, C. basiantha, C. bebbii, C. bella, C. bicknellii, C. bicolor, C. bigelowii, C. biltmoreana, C. blanda, C. bolanderi, C. bonanzensis, C. brainerdii, C. brevicaulis, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. bromoides, C. brunnescens, C. brysonii, C. bulbostylis, C. bullata, C. bushii, C. buxbaumii, C. calcifugens, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. careyana, C. caroliniana, C. caryophyllea, C. castanea, C. cephaloidea, C. cephalophora, C. chalciolepis, C. chapmanii, C. cherokeensis, C. chihuahuensis, C. chordorrhiza, C. circinata, C. collinsii, C. communis, C. comosa, C. complanata, C. concinna, C. concinnoides, C. congdonii, C. conjuncta, C. conoidea, C. constanceana, C. cordillerana, C. corrugata, C. crawei, C. crawfordii, C. crebriflora, C. crinita, C. cristatella, C. crus-corvi, C. cryptolepis, C. cumberlandensis, C. cumulata, C. curatorum, C. cusickii, C. dasycarpa, C. davisii, C. davyi, C. debilis, C. decomposita, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. deweyana, C. diandra, C. digitalis, C. diluta, C. disperma, C. distans, C. disticha, C. divisa, C. divulsa, C. douglasii, C. duriuscula, C. ebenea, C. eburnea, C. echinata, C. edwardsiana, C. egglestonii, C. eleusinoides, C. elliottii, C. elynoides, C. emoryi, C. endlichii, C. engelmannii, C. epapillosa, C. exilis, C. exsiccata, C. extensa, C. festucacea, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. fissa, C. fissuricola, C. flacca, C. flaccosperma, C. flava, C. floridana, C. foenea, C. folliculata, C. formosa, C. fracta, C. frankii, C. fuliginosa, C. garberi, C. geophila, C. geyeri, C. gholsonii, C. gigantea, C. glacialis, C. glareosa, C. glaucescens, C. glaucodea, C. globosa, C. gmelinii, C. godfreyi, C. gracilescens, C. gracilior, C. gracillima, C. granularis, C. gravida, C. grayi, C. grisea, C. gynandra, C. gynocrates, C. gynodynama, C. halliana, C. hallii, C. harfordii, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. haydenii, C. heleonastes, C. helleri, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. heterostachya, C. hirsutella, C. hirta, C. hirtifolia, C. hirtissima, C. hitchcockiana, C. holostoma, C. hoodii, C. hookeriana, C. hormathodes, C. hostiana, C. houghtoniana, C. hyalina, C. hyalinolepis, C. hystericina, C. idahoa, C. illota, C. impressinervia, C. incurviformis, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. intumescens, C. jamesii, C. jonesii, C. joorii, C. juniperorum, C. kobomugi, C. kraliana, C. krausei, C. lachenalii, C. lacustris, C. laeviconica, C. laeviculmis, C. laevivaginata, C. lapponica, C. lasiocarpa, C. latebracteata, C. lativena, C. laxa, C. laxiculmis, C. laxiflora, C. leavenworthii, C. lemmonii, C. lenticularis, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptonervia, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. loliacea, C. lonchocarpa, C. longii, C. louisianica, C. lucorum, C. lupuliformis, C. lupulina, C. lurida, C. lutea, C. luzulifolia, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. mackenziei, C. macloviana, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. magellanica, C. manhartii, C. marina, C. mariposana, C. maritima, C. mckittrickensis, C. meadii, C. media, C. melanostachya, C. membranacea, C. mendocinensis, C. merritt-fernaldii, C. mertensii, C. mesochorea, C. michauxiana, C. microchaeta, C. microdonta, C. microglochin, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. misera, C. missouriensis, C. mitchelliana, C. molesta, C. molestiformis, C. muehlenbergii, C. multicaulis, C. multicostata, C. muricata, C. muriculata, C. muskingumensis, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. nelsonii, C. nervina, C. neurophora, C. nigra, C. nigricans, C. nigromarginata, C. normalis, C. norvegica, C. nova, C. nudata, C. obispoensis, C. obnupta, C. obtusata, C. occidentalis, C. oklahomensis, C. oligocarpa, C. oligosperma, C. opaca, C. oreocharis, C. ormostachya, C. oronensis, C. ouachitana, C. ovalis, C. oxylepis, C. ozarkana, C. pachystachya, C. paeninsulae, C. paleacea, C. pallescens, C. panicea, C. pansa, C. parallela, C. parryana, C. pauciflora, C. paysonis, C. peckii, C. pedunculata, C. pellita, C. pelocarpa, C. pendula, C. pensylvanica, C. perdentata, C. perglobosa, C. petasata, C. petricosa, C. phaeocephala, C. picta, C. pigra, C. pityophila, C. planispicata, C. planostachys, C. plantaginea, C. platyphylla, C. pluriflora, C. podocarpa, C. polymorpha, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. prairea, C. prasina, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. projecta, C. proposita, C. pseudocyperus, C. pumila, C. purpurifera, C. radfordii, C. radiata, C. ramenskii, C. rariflora, C. raynoldsii, C. recta, C. reniformis, C. retroflexa, C. retrorsa, C. richardsonii, C. roanensis, C. rosea, C. rossii, C. rostrata, C. rotundata, C. rufina, C. rupestris, C. ruthii, C. sabulosa, C. salina, C. sartwelliana, C. sartwellii, C. saxatilis, C. saximontana, C. scabrata, C. scabriuscula, C. schottii, C. schweinitzii, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. senta, C. seorsa, C. serpenticola, C. serratodens, C. sheldonii, C. shinnersii, C. shortiana, C. siccata, C. silicea, C. simulata, C. socialis, C. sparganioides, C. specifica, C. spectabilis, C. specuicola, C. spicata, C. spissa, C. sprengelii, C. squarrosa, C. stenoptila, C. sterilis, C. stevenii, C. stipata, C. straminea, C. straminiformis, C. striata, C. striatula, C. stricta, C. styloflexa, C. stylosa, C. subbracteata, C. suberecta, C. subfusca, C. subnigricans, C. subspathacea, C. superata, C. supina, C. swanii, C. sychnocephala, C. sylvatica, C. tahoensis, C. tenax, C. tenera, C. tenuiflora, C. tetanica, C. tetrastachya, C. texensis, C. thornei, C. thurberi, C. timida, C. tincta, C. tompkinsii, C. tonsa, C. torreyi, C. torta, C. triangularis, C. tribuloides, C. trichocarpa, C. triquetra, C. trisperma, C. tuckermanii, C. tumulicola, C. turbinata, C. turgescens, C. typhina, C. umbellata, C. unilateralis, C. ursina, C. utriculata, C. vacillans, C. vaginata, C. vallicola, C. venusta, C. vernacula, C. verrucosa, C. vesicaria, C. vestita, C. vexans, C. virescens, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. whitneyi, C. wiegandii, C. willdenowii, C. williamsii, C. woodii, C. wootonii, C. xerantica
Name authority Schweinitz: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 1: 69. (1824) Schweinitz: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 1: 67. (1824)
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