Carex oligosperma Michx.

Fewseed sedge (en), Carex oligosperme (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Cyperaceae > Carex

Characteristics

Plants loosely cespitose; rhizomes long. Culms obtusely trigonous in cross section, 30–90 cm, smooth or scabrous-angled distally. Leaves: basal sheaths reddish purple; ligules as wide as long to wider than long; blades dark green, wiry, filiform, with involute margins, 0.5–2.5 mm wide, glabrous. Inflorescences 3–20 cm; proximal bract 3–15(–25) cm, shorter than to exceeding inflorescence; proximal 1–2 spikes pistillate, erect, ovoid to cylindric; terminal 1(–2) spikes staminate. Pistillate scales ovate, 3.2–5.6 × 2.6–3.8 mm, shorter than perigynia, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, awnless. Perigynia ascending, 7–15-veined, veins extending into beak, ovate, 4–6.7 × 2.5–3.4 mm, leathery, apex tapered; beak 0.3–0.9 mm, obscurely bidentulate, glabrous, teeth straight to somewhat outcurved, to 0.3 mm. Stigmas 3. Achenes brown, trigonous, smooth.
More
Colonial by creeping rhizomes, forming a turf; stems slender, 4– 10 dm, purplish at base; lvs pale green, stiff, elongate, involute, 1–3 mm wide; ligule much wider than long; staminate spike usually solitary; pistillate 1, or 2 or 3 and widely separated, sessile or nearly so, ovoid to short-cylindric, 1–2 cm; lowest bract lf-like but not sheathing; perigynia 3–15(–18), ovoid and somewhat inflated but also compressed, 4–7 mm, half as thick, strongly several-nerved, abruptly narrowed into an emarginate beak 1–2 mm; achene trigonous, obovoid, 2–3 mm; style persistent, usually contorted at base; 2n=76. Grassy bogs and wet meadows; Nf. to Mack., s. to Conn., Pa., Ind., and Wis.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality -
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.9
Root system fibrous-root rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity 5-9
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-9

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Emetic (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
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Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Carex oligosperma unspecified picture

Distribution

Carex oligosperma world distribution map, present in Canada, France, Micronesia (Federated States of), Japan, Nicaragua, and United States of America

Conservation status

Carex oligosperma threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:301325-1
WFO ID wfo-0000349519
COL ID 5XCNL
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 761930
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Carex despreauxii Carex okesiana Carex okesii Carex oligosperma Carex oakesiana Olamblis oakesiana Carex oligosperma var. churchilliana Carex oligosperma var. tsuishikarensis Carex tsuishikarensis