BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Carex vaginata | Sheathed Sedge 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Sheathed sedge is a native, perennial, monoecious graminoid [12].  Culms
are 4 to 24 inches (10-60 cm) tall [7,9].  Principal foliage leaves are
basal [11], mostly shorter than the culms [7], and 0.06 to 0.20 inches
(1.5-5 mm) wide [1,7].  The terminal inflorescence is a spike 0.4 to 0.8
inches (1-2 cm) long; there are one to three lateral spikes as well.
The fruit is a small triangular achene [1].  The perigynia surrounding
the achene is ovoid and 0.12 to 0.20 inches (3-5 mm) long [7].  There
are 3 to 20 perigynia per spike [1].  Sheathed sedge has long, slender
rhizomes [7,9]; it also has stolons [7,12].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Hemicryptophyte
   Geophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sheathed sedge sprouts from perennating buds at the base of the culms
and from rhizomes and stolons [7].  It also reproduces by seed [9].

In disturbed sites in the northwestern Northwest Territories, sheathed
sedge grew and expanded from intact rhizomes.  Some seed establishment
may also have occurred [10].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Sheathed sedge occurs on a wide variety of substrates and in a variety
of moisture regimes, from hydric to mesic.  It occurs in moist to wet
mossy woods, bogs, and other wet places [11,12].  In west-central
Alberta it occurs on poor to rich, wet soils [4].  In boreal forest in
central Saskatchewan, sheathed sedge occurs on soil that shows no
evidence of standing water at any time during the year [5].

In south-central Alaska sheathed sedge occurs on soils containing 70 to
85 percent sand [20].  In the northeastern United States it occurs
chiefly on calcareous soils [7,9].  Sheathed sedge in boreal forest in
eastern Ontario occurs on wet coniferous sites with acidic peat
substrates [3].  Sheathed sedge at some sites in south-central Alaska
occurs on soil with pH of 5.4 to 6.7 [20].

In Alaska sheathed sedge occurs from sea level to at least 2,494 feet
(760 m) elevation [12,20].  In west-central Alberta it is found from
1,641 to 4,593 feet (500-1,400 m) [4].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Facultative Seral Species

Most information on the role of sheathed sedge in succession is related
to fire.  See the Plant Response to Fire section of FIRE EFFECTS.


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Sheathed sedge blooms from June to August in the central and
northeastern United States and adjacent Canada [7,16].

Related categories for Species: Carex vaginata | Sheathed Sedge