Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Carex amphibola
Gray sedge, Amphibious sedge, Eastern narrowleaf sedge, gray sedge
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Carex grisea var. amphibola, Carex amphibola var. amphibola

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA PlantsITISThe Plant ListIPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNAUSDA PlantsBONAPBISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
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F
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M
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A
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M
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J
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J
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A
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S
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O
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N
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D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:This is a commonly mis-identified sedge and many of its records are likely to be erroneous.

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Monocot, perennial

Roots: adventitious, fibrous

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; awl-shaped leaf shape

Inflorescence: spike

Flowers: unisexual, monoecious; 3 merous; incomplete, not petals, not sepals; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic

Reproduction:

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Var. turgida Fern. (= C. grisea Wahlenb. in part), Fraxinus americana, Tilia americana; calcareous springy slopes, ditches; +/- rock; ravines, wooded valleys.

ILPIN Notes: Var. amphibola does not extend into Ill. Var. rigida (Bailey) Fern. and var. turgida Fern. do; ref. 4 places Carex grisea Wahlenb. as a variety - either nigida, turgida, or var. globose Bailey. Plant base red-purple. Staminate spikes sessile to short-pedunculate. Pistillate spikes widely separated, some near culm base. Leaves flat dark-green. Pistillate scales with a long, narrow scabrous awn. Perigynia tight about achene, beakless (ref. 2). Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, C. Ritchie Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. Univ. of N. Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. Terminal spike staminate or barely with a few perigynia. Lateral spikes 3-5, pistillate.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State: 7
  • Chicago Area: 10

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