Download NYNHP Conservation Guide for Wiegand`s Sedge

Wiegand's Sedge
Carex wiegandii
Scientific Name
Carex wiegandii
Mackenzie
Family Name
Cyperaceae
Sedge Family
Did you know?
Carex wiegandii is named in honor of Karl McKay
Wiegand (1873-1942), a major botanist from New
York (Fernald 1970). Wiegand worked at Cornell
University and the herbarium at Cornell is known
as the Wiegand Herbarium.
Photo credits: Troy Weldy
Summary
Protection Endangered in New York State, not listed federally.
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.
Rarity G4, S1
A global rarity rank of G4 means: This species is apparently secure globally (typically with
more than 100+ populations), 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
factors.
Conservation Status in New York
There are four known sites and only one historical location. These sites are in remote
Adirondack and Tug Hill peatlands that face few to no threats and are within well-protected
landscapes. This is a difficult to identify and difficult to locate sedge that may be
overlooked. Other bog areas within the Adirondacks and Tug Hill should be surveyed with
this sedge in mind.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wiegand's Sedge (Carex wiegandii)
Short-term Trends
Short term trends can not be assessed for populations in New York because there is not
enough data available. Still, it is known that two populations have remained extant over the
past twenty to thirty years.
Long-term Trends
There is very little historical data regarding C. wiegandii in New York. Therefore, long term
trends are unknown.
Conservation and Management
Threats
Populations in New York are not directly threatened. Some of the populations are very
small and although this species generally occurs like this throughout its range, small
populations are inherently vulnerable to even small scale changes in the environment such
as flooding or natural disturbances.
Conservation Strategies and Management Practices
Currently no management is needed for populations of C. wiegandii in New York.
Research Needs
Specimens from two sites need to be found and/or collected. They should be verified.
Further survey work should be done to assess the full extent of populations.
Habitat
In New York, Carex wiegandii occurs in acidic peatlands. It mostly occurs in the shade of conifers
or alder thickets. It also is found in canopy openings and on the edge of open acidic peatlands. It
occurs both on hummocks and depressions in these wetlands. The ground is usually carpeted with
Sphagnum spp. (New York Natural Heritage Program 2006). It occurs in bogs, openings in acidic
conifer, mixed, or alder swamps, and in wet acidic sandy or peaty meadows (Reznicek 2002).
Sphagnum bogs and other wet, open places (Gleason and Cronquist 1991).
Associated Ecological Communities
Black Spruce-tamarack Bog
A conifer forest that occurs on acidic peatlands in cool, poorly drained depressions. The
characteristic trees are black spruce and tamarack; in any one stand, either tree may be
dominant, or they may be codominant. Canopy cover is quite variable, ranging from open
canopy woodlands with as little as 20% cover of evenly spaced canopy trees to closed
canopy forests with 80 to 90% cover.
Patterned Peatland
A large peatland whose surface forms a gentle slope with a mosaic of high and low areas
(relative to water levels). These high and low areas occur as narrow or broad bands of
vegetation and pools that extend perpendicular to the direction of water flow across the
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wiegand's Sedge (Carex wiegandii)
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slope of the peatland. Peat moss (Sphagnum) is the most abundant plant.
Other Probable Associated Communities
Highbush blueberry bog thicket
Inland poor fen
Pine barrens vernal pond
Associated Species
Speckled Alder (Alnus incana)
Hoary Sedge (Carex canescens)
Threeseeded Sedge (Carex trisperma var. trisperma)
Tamarack (Larix laricina)
Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea)
Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
Sphagnum spp.
Northern Wild Raisin (Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides)
Identification Comments
Carex wiegandii is a grass-like tufted perennial. It has long strap-like leaves that are
1.7-5.0 mm wide. Numerous flowering/fruiting stems, 10-105 cm long, arise from the tufted
leaves at the base of the plants. There are a few leaves on the stems and toward the tip of
these stems are 4-6 flower/fruit clusters. These flower clusters have female flowers at the
tip and male flowers at the base. The female flowers develop into fruits (perigynia) that are
2.6-3.8 mm long and 1.3-2.1 mm wide. Once mature the fruits easily fall from the plants
(Reznicek 2002).
Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species
The easiest time to identify C. wiegandii is when it is in fruit but the fruit are not yet easily
shedding. Leaves are critical for identification and ideally a full specimen in fruit is needed
for a correct determination to be made.
The Best Time to See
Carex wiegandii is in immature to mature fruit from late June to early August although by
late July the perigynia are starting to shed easily. Therefore, the best time to survey for this
species is in the first two to three weeks of July.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wiegand's Sedge (Carex wiegandii)
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Fruiting
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The time of year you would expect to find Wiegand's Sedge in New York.
Similar Species
Carex wiegandii is a very distinctive member of section Stellulatae. When robust it is
unmistakable (Reznicek and Ball 1980). The wide leaves, widest 2.8-5.0 mm, separates it
from most other closely related species in New York. Carex echinata in New York, usually
has widest leaves up to 2.7 mm wide but can occasionally have leaves that are a little bit
wider. Carex echinata has perigynium beaks (0.85-)0.95-2.0 mm long; perigynia beaks
(0.40-)0.45-0.86 times the length of the body; and pistillate scales of wide leaved
individuals 2.1-3.1 mm long (Reznicek 2002).
Carex atlantica ssp. atlantica has widest leaves 1.6-4.0(-4.5) mm wide. It differs from C.
wiegandii in having wider and wider to long perigynia. Carex atlantica ssp. atlantica has
lower perigynia mostly 2.1-3.0 mm wide and mostly 1.1-1.7 times as long as wide vs. lower
perigynia mostly 1.2-2.0 mm wide and mostly (1.5-)1.7-3.0 times as long as wide for C.
wiegandii.
Conservation Comments
Carex wiegandii is a member of section Stellulatae. It was first named in 1931 by
Mackenzie (Reznicek 2002).
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Anthophyta
Class
Monocots (Monocotyledoneae)
Order
Cyperales
Family
Cyperaceae (Sedge Family)
Additional Common Names
Sedge
Additional Resources
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wiegand's Sedge (Carex wiegandii)
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Links
Flora of North America
http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242357629
New York Flora Atlas
http://www.newyork.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=1140
USDA Plants Database
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?mode=sciname&keywordquery=
CAREX+WIEGANDII
NatureServe Explorer
http://natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=CAREX+WIEGANDII
Google Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=CAREX+WIEGANDII
Best Identification Reference
Reznicek, A.A. 2002. Carex Linnaeus sect. Stellulate Kunth. Pages 326-331 in Flora of North America
Editorial Committee (editors), Flora of North America, North of Mexico, Volume 23, Magnoliophyta:
Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford University Pre
References
Fernald, M.L. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. D. Van Nostrand, New York. 1632 pp.
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States
and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp.
Holmgren, Noel. 1998. 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.
Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L. 1995.
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.
Mackenzie, K.K. 1931-1935. Cariceae. North American Flora 18: 1-478.
NatureServe. 2005. NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA
New York Natural Heritage Program. 2010. Biotics database. New York Natural Heritage Program.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY.
Reschke, Carol. 1990. Ecological communities of New York State. New York Natural Heritage
Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Latham, NY. 96 pp. plus
xi.
Reznicek, A.A. and P.W. Ball. 1980. The taxonomy of Carex section Stellulatae in North America
north of Mexico. Contr . Unw. Mich. Herb. 14:153-203.
Rhoads, A.F., and W.M. Klein, Jr. 1993. The vascular flora of Pennsylvania: Annotated checklist and
atlas. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA. 636 pp.
Rothrock, P.E. 1978. Carex wiegandii Mackenzie (Cyperaceae) New for Pennsylvania. Rhodora
80:451. A78ROT01PAUS.
Weldy, T. and D. Werier. 2010. New York flora atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and L.D. Mabe
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wiegand's Sedge (Carex wiegandii)
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(original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research
http://www.fccdr.usf.edu/. University of South Florida http://www.usf.edu/
New York Natural Heritage Program
This project is made possible with funding from:
625 Broadway, 5th Floor,
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River
Albany, NY 12233-4757
Estuary Program
Phone: (518) 402-8935
- Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation
[email protected]
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Information for this guide was last updated on Oct 28, 2015
This guide was authored by
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wiegand's Sedge (Carex wiegandii)
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