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- Carex peckii
Carex peckii — Peck's sedge
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Peck's sedge was named after Charles Horton Peck (1833-1917), who, as New York State Botanist for 48 years, described over 2700 species of fungi. Peck's sedge is found in mesic forests, slopes and outcrops.
Habitat
Forests, talus and rocky slopes
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- stem leaf blade width
- 1–3.3 mm
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Spike on stalk
- the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 3.2–4.2 mm
- Leaf sheath color
- the leaf sheath is tinted pink, red or purple
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is smooth and hairless, or rough and sandpapery
- Perigynium beak teeth
- the perigynium beak is divided at the top into two teeth
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 1.4–1.5 mm
- Bumps on fruit
- there are no papillae on the perigynium surface
- Length of scale
- the scale is shorter than the perigynium
- Perigynium beak
- the perigynium has a beak
- Perigynium beak length
- 0.7–1 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
- 0.2–0.4 mm
- Perigynium color
-
- green
- yellow
- Perigynium cross-section
- the perigynium is relatively round in cross-section
- Perigynium hairs
- the perigynium is hairy
- Perigynium length
- 3.2–4.2 mm
- Perigynium nerve number
- 0
- Perigynium nerve texture
- NA
- Perigynium nerves lower side
- 0
- Perigynium nerves upper side
- 0
- Perigynium orientation
- the perigynia are oriented vertically or pressed against the axis or adjacent perigynia
- Perigynium puffy
- the achene is tightly enclosed by the perigynium
- Perigynium shape
- the perigynium body is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- Perigynium width
- 1.1–1.3 mm
- Perigynium winged
- the perigynium has no wings
- Pollen- and seed-producing spikes
- some of the spikes produce perigynia
- Pollen-producing spike length
- 5.3–8.6 mm
- Pollen-producing spike number
- 1
- Pollen-producing spike peduncle length
- 0.4–2.2 mm
- Pollen-producing spike width
- 0.8–1.7 mm
- Scale awn
- The carpellate scale does not have an awn (it may have a short point)
- Scale awn texture
- NA
- Scale color
-
- red-brown
- tan
- white or translucent
- Scale length
- 2.2–3.2 mm
- Scale tip
-
- the carpellate scale tip is acuminate (tapered to a narrow point)
- the carpellate scale tip is acute (has a sharp point)
- Spike on stalk
- the lowest spike on the plant has a peduncle
- Spike orientation
- the spikes are angled outwards, or arched over
- Spikes per stem
- 2-15
- Staminate scale tip
- the staminate scale tip is acute (has a sharp point)
- Stigma branching
- the stigmas have three branches
- Top spike
- the uppermost spike contains only staminate flowers
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene dimples
- the achene has no folds or dimples
- Achene length
- 1.9–2.4 mm
- Achene width
- 1–1.3 mm
- Style persistence
- the style falls off the mature achenes
-
Growth form
- Rhizomes
-
- there are long rhizomes present
- 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 does not have papillae
- Leaf sheath bumps
-
- the top edge of the leaf sheath has papillae on it
- there are no papillae at the top edge of the leaf sheath
- 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
- there are no corrugations on the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels rough, or has hairs
- Lowest bract sheath
- the lowest bract has no sheath (or a very short sheath up to four millimeters in length)
- Lowest leaf blade width
- 1–3.3 mm
- Lowest leaf sheath texture
- the leaf sheath feels rough
- stem leaf blade width
- 1–3.3 mm
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- talus or rocky slopes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 21–47 cm
- Relative stem height
- the main stem is taller than the leaves
- Spike internode length
- Up to 7 mm
- 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
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- historical (S-rank: SH)
- New Hampshire
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), W (code: W)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Carex deflexa:
- perigynia 2.3-3.1 mm long and reproductive stems 5-31 cm tall, usually equaled or exceeded by the leaves (vs. C. peckii, with perigynia 3.2-4.2 mm long and reproductive stems 21-47 cm tall, usually exceeding the leaves).
Synonyms
- Carex clivicola Fern. and Weatherby
- Carex nigromarginata Schwein. var. elliptica (Boott) Gleason
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
7. Carex peckii Howe N
Peck’s sedge. Carex clivicola Fern. and Weatherby; Carex nigromarginata Schwein. var. elliptica (Boott) Gleason • MA, ME, NH, VT. Dry-mesic to mesic forests, slopes, and outcrops.