Northern Clustered Sedge

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Northern Clustered Sedge Carex arcta scales, perigynia, achenes Scientific Name Family Name Carex arcta Boott Cyperaceae Sedge Family Did you know?

1 Northern Clustered Sedge Carex arcta scales, perigynia, achenes Scientific Name Family Name Carex arcta Boott Cyperaceae Sedge Family Did you know? The species name means "contracted" and refers to the spikelets that are all clustered at the top of the stem. Photo credits: Hurd et. al (1998); downloaded from USDA-Plants Database Summary Protection Endangered in New York State, not listed federally. Rarity G5, S1 This level of state protection means: listed species are those with: 1) 5 or fewer extant sites, or 2) fewer than 1,000 individuals, or 3) restricted to fewer than 4 U.S.G.S. 7 ½ minute topographical maps, or 4) species listed as endangered by U.S. Department of Interior. A global rarity rank of G5 means: This species is demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. A state rarity rank of S1 means: This plant is endangered/critically imperiled in New York because of extreme rarity (typically 5 or fewer populations or very few remaining individuals) or is extremely vulnerable to extirpation from New York due to biological NYNHP Conservation Guide - Northern Clustered Sedge (Carex arcta)

2 factors. Conservation Status in New York There is only one known occurrence and less than ten total populations reported across a very broad range of the state. This sedge may be overlooked as its habitat is very common. New York is at the southern limit of its range, so that may account for the limited number of populations reported. Future surveys should focus on the Adirondacks, Tug Hill Plateau, and Allegany Reservoir area. The southern Hudson Valley record needs to be verified. Short-term Trends This plant was never common in the state with only three collections after We need more data about the known population and more searches of historical populations to understand the short-term trend. Long-term Trends This plant probably persists in low numbers in the state. We need more searches of the historical populations to better understand the long-term trend. Conservation and Management Threats The known population is in a populated area but its wetland is not directly threatened. Conservation Strategies and Management Practices Maintain the wetland habitat where this sedge grows. Habitat This sedge may be found in low wet woods, along the edges of islands, flats along rivers, swales, around reservoirs and other bodies of water, and other wet depressions (New York Natural Heritage Program 2005). Swampy (coniferous) woods and thickets, wet meadows (Flora of North America 2002). Streambanks, meadows, and other wet places (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Very local in low usually +/- open ground (Voss 1972). Wet woods, alluvial thickets, shores, and swales (Fernald 1970). Associated Ecological Communities Other Probable Associated Communities Beech-maple mesic forest Floodplain forest Hemlock-hardwood swamp Hemlock-northern hardwood forest Northern white cedar swamp Shallow emergent marsh NYNHP Conservation Guide - Northern Clustered Sedge (Carex arcta) 2

3 Spruce-fir swamp Successional northern hardwoods Successional old field Associated Species Bailey's Sedge (Carex baileyi) Blunt Broom Sedge (Carex tribuloides) Inflated Sedge (Carex vesicaria) Identification Comments Carex arcta is a tightly clumped sedge with short underground stems. The soft stems are about 2 feet high, rough at the top, and often overtopped by the pale or grayish-green, soft, flat, narrow leaves only 1/8" wide. The leaf sheath is conspicuously purple-dotted and concave near the summit. The ligule is pointed and longer than wide. The 5-15 spikes are all clustered together at the tops of the stems. Each spike has or more perigynia crowded together. The perigynia are egg-shaped with a definite beak that is strongly toothed. They have obvious nerves on the outside face with faint nerves on the inside face. They are 2-3 mm long and mm wide. The perigynia scales are pointed, slightly shorter than the perigynia, clear with a green center, and often brown-tinged. Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species This plant should be identified with mature fruit. To verify the identification, a voucher record should be made of the entire plant including roots, stems, leaves, and fruits. Gleason and Cronquist (1991) should not be used to key this plant as you may be steered in the wrong direction. Please use Flora of North America (2002), Voss (1972), or Tucker (1995). The Best Time to See This sedge flowers from late May to mid-july, with mature fruits present mid-june to early September. Since mature fruits are needed for identification, surveys should be conducted in July and August when this sedge is likely at its peak fruiting period. Fruiting Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The time of year you would expect to find Northern Clustered Sedge in New York. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Northern Clustered Sedge (Carex arcta) 3

4 Similar Species Carex exilis only has a single spike and involuted leaves. Carex sterilis and other New York members of section Stellulatae have 2-8 spikes, these are typically less crowded than Carex arcta, and/or with fewer flowers per head (5-25 per head). Carex tenuiflora has beakless perigynia which are broadest near or just above the middle. This plant is also loosely cespitose with long, slender rhizomes. In the other New York members of this section (Carex brunnescens, C. canescens, and C. trisperma), you will find that at least the lower spikes are separated and not overlapping, and the perigynia are widest near or above the middle. Conservation Comments Flora of North America (2002) places this sedge in section Glareosae (formerly section Heleonastes), although earlier texts (e.g. Gleason and Cronquist 1991) placed it in Stellulatae. The main differerence between these sections is all Glareosae members have wholly pistillate lateral spikes while some members of section Stellulatae. In section Glareosae, the achenes do not have a spongy base, generally fill the entire perigynia body, and the perigynia are rounded near the margins. In section Stellulatae, the achenes typically have a spongy base, are distinctly smaller than the perigynial body, and the perigynia have sharp margins. Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Plantae Anthophyta Class Monocots (Monocotyledoneae) Order Cyperales Family Additional Common Names Bear Sedge Clustered Sedge Contracted Sedge Narrow Sedge Northern Cluster Sedge Sedge Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Additional Resources Links USDA Plants Database CAREX+ARCTA NatureServe Explorer NYNHP Conservation Guide - Northern Clustered Sedge (Carex arcta) 4

5 Google Images Flora of North America New York Flora Atlas Best Identification Reference Flora of North America Editorial Committee Flora of North America, North of Mexico. Volume 23. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. 608 pp. References Fernald, M.L Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. D. Van Nostrand, New York pp. Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp. Holmgren, Noel The Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. Hurd, E.G., N.L. Shaw, J. Mastrogiuseppe, L.C. Smithman, and S. Goodrich Field guide to Intermountain sedges. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMS-GTR-10. USDA FS RMRS, Ogden, UT. Courtesy of USDA FS RMRS Boise Aquatic Sciences Lab ( Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery, and map unit tables. Mitchell, Richard S. and Gordon C. Tucker Revised Checklist of New York State Plants. Contributions to a Flora of New York State. Checklist IV. Bulletin No New York State Museum. Albany, NY. 400 pp. NatureServe NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA New York Natural Heritage Program Biotics database. New York Natural Heritage Program. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. Tucker, Gordon C Preliminary keys to Carex (Cyperaceae) in New York State. New York Flora Association Newsletter 6(2):3-18. Available online at: Voss, E.G Michigan Flora, Part I. Gymnosperms and Monocots. Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 55 and the University of Michigan Herbarium. Ann Arbor. 488 pp. Weldy, T. and D. Werier New York flora atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and L.D. Mabe (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research University of South Florida New York Flora Association Albany, New York New York Natural Heritage Program 625 Broadway, 5th Floor, NYNHP Conservation Guide - Northern Clustered Sedge (Carex arcta) 5

6 Albany, NY Phone: (518) This project is made possible with funding from: - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River NYNHP Conservation Guide - Northern Clustered Sedge (Carex arcta) 6

7 Estuary Program - Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation - New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Information for this guide was last updated on Aug 11, 2017 This guide was authored by NYNHP Conservation Guide - Northern Clustered Sedge (Carex arcta) 7

Blue-tipped Dancer. Summary. Protection Not listed in New York State, not listed federally.

Blue-tipped Dancer. Summary. Protection Not listed in New York State, not listed federally. Blue-tipped Dancer Blue-tipped Dancer Scientific Name Family Name Argia tibialis (Rambur, 1842) Coenagrionidae Pond Damsels Did you know? The blue markings on blue-tipped dancers and some other odonate