Wisconsin's rare plants

 
 
 
Scientific Name Common Name Global Rank State Rank Federal Status WI Status

Clustered Sedge (Carex cumulata)

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Photo by Andrew Hipp

 

 

 

 

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Counties with Mapped NHI Occurrences

Clustered Sedge (Carex cumulata), a Wisconsin Special Concern plant, is found in disturbed areas of barrens near Glacial Lake Wisconsin, including borrow pits, roadsides, sphagnum boggy woods, and wooded sandstone bluff tops. Blooming occurs throughout June, fruiting early-July through early-September. The optimal identification period for this species is early-July through August.

Carex straminea var. cumulata

 
 
 

Clustered sedge is a graminoid, 40-80cm tall, with 5-9 sessile spikes, each 7-10mm long, aggregated into such a dense cluster that spikelets are nearly at right angles to the rachis. The staminate portion is 2mm or less. The perigynia are flattened, appressed, greenish to dark brown, conspicuously 3-7-veined abaxially, inconspicuously veined adaxially, obovate, broadest at about the middle, and concavo-convex, achenes are lenticular and elliptic. It has 2-4 blades per fertile culm, 3-5mm wide with sheaths adaxially, green-veined nearly to collar, with a white-hyaline band or sharp Y-shaped hyaline region at collar. Basal sheaths are somewhat fibrous, adaxially firm, summits truncate, prolonged 0.3mm beyond collar, and abaxially finely papillose, distal ligules are 2-7mm. Pistillate scales are white-hyaline or brown, with a green or white midstripe, extend to tip, are broadly lanceolate, and shorter and narrower than perigynia, the apex is firm, obtuse, or acute.

It can be distinguished from C merritt-fernaldii, by its adaxially green-veined sheaths, obovate perigynia, and usually broader (3-5mm) leaves.

Rhizomatous. Blooming occurs throughout June, fruiting early-July through early-September.

Perennial. The optimal identification period for this species early-July through August.

Associated species include Pinus banksiana, Quercus ellipsoidalis, Polygala cruciata, Euthamia graminifolia, Spiraea tomentosa, and Euphorbia corollata.

Clustered sedge prefers dry, rocky or sandy soils and is found in disturbed areas of barrens near Glacial Lake Wisconsin, including borrow pits, roadsides, sphagnum boggy woods, and wooded sandstone bluff tops.

Avoid known individual plant locations and conduct operations elsewhere when they are least likely to cause damage. Ideally, this would involve frozen, snow-covered ground. However, in areas of the state where frozen conditions are unreliable, very dry soils late in the growing season might be the best available alternative. Consult with a biologist, if needed.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

Prescribed burns and/or brushing may be beneficial, dependent on local site conditions and burn frequency. Rotational burns with annual unburned refugia may be preferred.

Maintain and restore open habitat through selective clearing and brushing.

Survey for and control invasive plants prior to conducting timber operations, as these can be spread by vehicles and often respond vigorously to increased light. See forestry BMPs for invasive species.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.