Sedge Allies
What are they?
Included in this group, you will find many members of the sedge family other than the true sedges (in the genus Carex). They are a very variable bunch and between them make up the vast majority of those tricky little brown and green things that seem to proliferate in wetland habitats.
Where are they found?
These are very much plants of wetlands and often form the majority of vegetation in swamps and bogs. A few species grow in drier habitats and some grow standing in permanently wet areas such as larger ponds and rivers.
Identification
Identification of plants in this group can be very difficult, with the problem compounded by misidentifications in books in the past. It is often necessary to use a hand lens to look at the smaller parts of flowering and/or fruiting heads. This said, here it is hoped to get the observer as close as possible to the correct identification without resorting to micro-detail. With the spikerushes, it is often important to study the structure of the fruiting body, known as an achene, which usually has a tubercle on top, like a small hat.
Wool-grass Scirpus cyperinus
Grows in most types of wetland habitat throughout the county. Flowers June to August. A tall and stately species which catches the eye with its drooping clusters of fluffy fruiting heads.
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hang over |
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Tawny Cotton-grass Eriophorum virginicum
Found in wet, acidic bogs in the northern half of the county. Flowers July to August. Readily told by its red-brown fluffy heads which gradually turn paler as they ripen and resemble little thatched roofs once the rain has matted them down.
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develop |
matted after rain |
Hairy Umbrella-sedge Fuirena squarrosa
An uncommon, rather small species of coastal wetlands and seasonally flooded margins of sandy or peaty ponds. Very hard to tell from Dwarf Umbrella-sedge, except that plants are usually perennial and have underground stems (rhizomes) which can be located with a little scratching around at the base of the plant. If in flower, measure the pollen-bearing anthers in the flowers, which should be at least 1.3mm long. Flowers August to September.
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Dwarf Umbrella-sedge Fuirena pumila
An uncommon, tiny species of coastal wetlands and seasonally flooded margins of sandy or peaty ponds. Very hard to tell from Hairy Umbrella-sedge, except that plants are usually annual, without underground stems (rhizomes). If in flower, measure the pollen-bearing anthers in the flowers, which should be less than 1.2mm long. Flowers August to September.
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Saltmarsh Bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus
A tall plant that favors brackish to slightly saline conditions, usually found in herb-rich plant communities at the higher end of saltmarshes or in coastal ponds. Flowers June to August.
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Soft-stemmed Bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani
A tall plant of permanent wetlands, growing in often quite large stands around the margins of lakes and along riversides. Flowers June to July.
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American Bulrush Schoenoplectus pungens
(Common Three-square, Chairmaker's Rush) A common wetland species, especially along the upper edge of saltmarsh and along permanent waterways where the ground is sandy. Flowers late June to August.
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in cross-section |
Olney's Bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
A local wetland species, usually found along the upper edge of saltmarsh. Flowers late June to August.
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in cross-section |
Water Bulrush Schoenoplectus subterminalis
(Swaying Bulrush) An unusual member of the bulrush group in that it grows in running streams, the leaves floating in the water and the flowering stems rising just above water level. Not common in Cape May County and best looked for in the north of the area. Flowers late June to August.
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| leaves flow with current |
above water |
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Common Spikerush Eleocharis palustris
A local species of fresh or slightly brackish water. Flowers June to August. A spreading species, often forming quite large stands of open vegetation. Best told from Creeping Spikerush by the bracts below the flowerhead.
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flower head |
distinct collar |
Creeping Spikerush Eleocharis fallax
A local species of fresh or slightly brackish water. Flowers June to September. A spreading species, often forming quite large stands of open vegetation.
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Slender Spikerush Eleocharis tenuis
Widespread but patchily distributed. Occasional in wetland areas and may also be found in damp woodland and grassy fields and roadsides. Flowers late May to July. Note the very fine stems and broadly rounded heads. Tubercle small and pyramidal in shape.
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with broad grass leaves |
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Large-tubercled Spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
Widespread in wet soils. Flowers July to September. A small and slender species which may be easily overlooked among taller vegetation. Flowering heads small and rounded; achene dark brown with a large and obvious tubercle.
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Small-fruited Spikerush Eleocharis microcarpa
Widespread and quite common in all sorts of wet ground, in swamps and the margins of lakes on seasonally flooded ground. Flowers July to August. Flower heads rather narrow and pointed at the top. The achene is olive-colored and noticeably very small. Stems do not form tight clumps, but form extended mats of bright green, very slender stems on areas of open mud. Flowering and fruting spikes occasionally have small, secondary heads attached.
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secondary head |
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Blunt Spikerush Eleocharis obtusa
Widespread and quite common in all sorts of wet ground, in swamps and the margins of lakes on seasonally flooded ground. Flowers June to September. Flower heads rather elongate. The achene is flattened in one plain, rounded in the other, and shiny, light brown. The tubercle is relatively large, usually covering the full width of the achene, and is wider than tall.
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Needle Spikerush Eleocharis acicularis
This tiny species can be extremely common in muddy ground in marshes and other wet areas, where it often carpets the ground like a lawn and is a rich source of food for waterbirds, especially ducks. Plants propagate vegetatively and flower heads often don't set seed. Flowers June to August.
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| seasonally flooded ground |
densely |
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Robbins' Spikerush Eleocharis robbinsii
Uncommon and localized but may be found in large stands where it occurs. Flowers July to September.
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Square-stemmed Spikerush Eleocharis quadrangulata
Restricted to just one or two locations, but where it occurs, it forms extensive stands of dense stems in seasonally wet, sandy soil. Flowers July to August. This is one of the largest of the spikerushes, which has winged, four-angled stems (all other species are rounded or three-sided).
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four-angled |
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Carolina Fimbry Fimbristylis caroliniana
A plant of fresh or brackish marshes along the coast. Flowers August to October. A low-growing, slender species with a distinctly flattened stem bearing course but tiny teeth along the edge. Stems are not densely tufted but form loose colonies.
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Marsh Fimbry Fimbristylis castanea
A plant of brackish marshes along the coast. Flowers August to October. Whole plant is densely tufted and resembles a rush.
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Slender Fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
A small, delicate plant which grows in damp soil, often in quite extensive colonies. Flowers August to October.
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Tufted Hair-sedge Bulbostylis capillaris
A tiny, grass-like plant which can be locally very common on areas of open ground, either wet or dry. Flowers June to September. A tiny plant, often no more than four inches high.
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Fern Flat-sedge Cyperus filicinus
Widespread in wet areas and most often found on the upper edge of saltmarshes, where water tends to be slightly brackish. Flowers August to October. A slender species that can form dense colonies.
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Slender Flat-sedge Cyperus bipartitus
Widespread in wet hollows, marshy grassland and similar wet areas. Flowers July to October. A short species that can form dense colonies of low plants.
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Yellow Nut-sedge Cyperus esculentus
Introduced from tropical or warm temperate regions, this species occurs throughout the world's tropical regions and its original native distribution is probably now uncertain. Flowers July to October. Widespread in rough grassland, waste places and edges of wetlands, where it may often form quite extensive colonies.
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Ricefield Flat-sedge Cyperus iria
Introduced from Eurasia and spreading rapidly in Eastern North America. Typically found in damp, muddy places on roadsides and disturbed ground. Flowers July to September.
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Compressed Flat-sedge Cyperus compressus
Introduced from warmer areas to the south of our area but occasionally found on disturbed roadsides. Flowers July to August.
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Great Plains Flat-sedge Cyperus lupulinus
Widespread in dry places, often common on grassy roadsides. Flowers July to August. A small flat-sedge that might be easily overlooked in long grass.
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Gray's Flat-sedge Cyperus grayi
Widespread in dry, sandy places, including coastal dunes. Flowers July to August. A slender, narrow-stemmed species which often has a rather low, prostrate look about it.
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Globe Flat-sedge Cyperus echinatus
A plant of fields and open woodland rather than swamps. Flowers July to August. Tight clusters of rounded heads are very distinctive.
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Bearded Flat-sedge Cyperus squarrosus
Local but often common where it occurs and most often found as a pavement weed in urban areas. Flowers July to August. A small plant, most often around four to six inches high. Tight clusters of rounded heads are very distinctively covered in curved spikes.
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Straw-colored Flat-sedge Cyperus strigosus
A common species of all types of wetlands, especially in the southern part of Cape May County. The bright, straw-yellow heads are very eye-catching. Flowers July to September.
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Pine Barren Flat-sedge Cyperus retrorsus
A widespread species of usually dry, sandy ground. Flowers July to September. Flowers somewhat resemble those of Globe Flat-sedge but are elongated rather than spherical.
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Fragrant Flat-sedge Cyperus odoratus
A common species of all types of wetlands, including slightly brackish habitats. Flowers July to September.
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Asiatic Spike-sedge Kyllinga gracillima
A rather confused species in New Jersey, many sources consider this to be a native species in the USA, but the Flora of North America considers it to be an introduction. There are few records published for New Jersey and none for Cape May County - though the specimens shown here were found in a lawn in Cape May Court House. Part of the problem has been past confusion with the similar Kyllinga brevifolia, which probably doesn't occur in New Jersey. Flowerheads of this species are whiter and more rounded (less dome-shaped) than the native species. Most often found growing as a lawn weed in damper patches of soil. Flowers September to October.
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Trifid Flat-sedge Dulichium arundinaceum
(Threeway Sedge) An unusual member of the sedge family which in many ways looks more like a grass. Grows in spreading patches of upright, leafy stems in marshes and bogs throughout the region and is often common. Flowers June to August.
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