Green in Winter: Plantain-leaved Sedge

The large, straplike leaves of Carex plantaginea are especially noticeable in winter. This plant is frequent in mesic forest remnants in northern Indiana, most commonly under beech and sugar maple. Photographed at Bendix Woods County Park near New Carlisle, Indiana on February 4, 2012.

Plantain-leaved Sedge is one of the earliest sedges to flower in spring, and also one of the showiest. Sedges are wind-pollinated and don't need to attract insects, and as a result, the flowers are apetalous (without petals). Even so, the flowers of this plant are very attractive. In the picture below, the pale yellow feather dusters are the staminate ("male") flowers; the transparent structures along the culms (stems) are the stigmas of the pistillate ("female") flowers. The photo below was created on April 9, 2011 in a privately-owned forest near Rolling Prairie, Indiana.

This is just a beautiful plant in every season!

Plant Quiz Solved - Carex frankii!

Good call, A.L., it is Carex frankii, Bristly Cattail Sedge. The perigynia bodies are strongly obconic and the awns of the pistillate scales exceed the perigynia.

This attractive sedge was on a roadside near South Bend, Indiana.

South Carolina Highlights, Part 3

The final day of our trip to the Palmetto State started out with a trip to Shealy's Pond Heritage Preserve in the sandhills province. The plant communities that we hoped to see at this preserve were Atlantic White Cedar Bog and the seepy margin around the edge of the mill pond formed by the dammed Scouter Creek.


In the Atlantic White Cedar Bog community we found one of the highlights of the entire trip in my opinion, Carex collinsii (shown below), a species of east coast bogs and seepages. This sedge is often found growing in association with Chamaecyparis thyoides (as it was here) or Picea mariana (as it does farther north). In South Carolina, Collins' Sedge is considered critically imperiled.


The seepage zone surrounding the mill pond is home to three species of Sarracenia, as well as several hybrids between them. The most conspicuous of the three species that we saw was Sarracenia flava var. maxima (below). Unfortunately, the flowers of this species (which McPherson (2007)) describes as some of the largest and most spectacular in the entire genus) had all dropped their petals before we arrived on 3 May, but the nearly three foot tall yellow-green pitchers helped to make up for this deficiency. Yellow Pitcher Plant grows throughout a narrow band in the coastal plain and piedmont of eastern North America and into the panhandle of Florida and southeastern Alabama in a variety of wet acidic habitats.


In the Great Lakes and New England states, as well as in Canada, Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea can regularly be seen growing in bogs and fens. That's why I was very excited to see Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa (below), the more southern subspecies. There are disjunct populations of Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea in the southern Appalachian Mountains as well, but generally the two subspecies are geographically separated around northern Virginia. The Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa plants that we saw at Shealy's Pond were much taller than any Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea that I've seen in northern Indiana.


This subspecies is named for its veiny leaves. A major difference between this and Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea is that the leaves of Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa are too heavy for the plant to support their weight, and the pitchers therefore fall over and appear to be prostrate in growth form, curving upwards at the pitcher opening (see photograph below). Frog's Breeches, as it is known, is a federal species of concern that grows in wet, acidic habitats primarily in the Atlantic coastal plain of the southeastern United States. In South Carolina, this carnivorous plant species is rare but grows in the mountains, sandhills, and coastal plain.


The third species of pitcher plant at Shealy's Pond was Sarracenia rubra (below). This species has its greatest distribution in South Carolina, but its overall range includes several small isolated populations throughout the southeastern United States. Sarracenia jonesii, which I mentioned in Part 1 of my recap, was once thought to be a subspecies of Sarracenia rubra, but the two are now thought by most to be distinct species, with the former restricted to the mountains and the latter found in the coastal plain and sandhills.


The leaves of Sarracenia rubra (shown below) are on average a bit smaller (with smaller openings) than those of Sarracenia jonesii, but there is some overlap. Sarracenia rubra supposedly preys mostly on ants, as the opening in the pitcher is said to be too small for many other insects.


After Shealy's Pond, we started our trip back through the piedmont and stopped at Savannah River Bluffs Heritage Preserve, located along the scenic Savannah River just northeast of Augusta, Georgia. Taxodium distichum, Platanus occidentalis, and Betula nigra were dominant in the floodplain forest, in places covered with Tillandsia usneoides. In addition to the floodplain, the basic-mesic forest at Savannah River Bluffs was our targeted plant community.


At this preserve, we were excited to see another sedge in section Phyllostachyae (the section in which Carex jamesii, Carex latebracteata, Carex wildenowii, and Carex basiantha are placed), Carex superata (shown below). This interesting sedge, with tallest flower stalks less than half the height of the plant, is known from moist to dry forests and openings in the southeastern United States.


Our primary target at Savannah River Bluffs, however, was Trillium reliquum, shown below. Unfortunately, we were a bit late to see this federally endangered trillium in flower, but I still couldn't resist taking numerous photos of this amazing rarity that is known from widely separated populations in just five counties in three states (Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina). Relict Trillium, as it is known, can be identified by the s-shaped stem and silvery stripe along the leaf midveins; it grows in rich basic-mesic forests and floodplains.


After getting our fill of past-flowering Trillium reliquum, we hurried to Stevens Creek Heritage Preserve to end our trip in what some claim to be the best basic-mesic forest in the piedmont of the eastern United States. It didn't take long for us to find another of our targets, the federally threatened Ribes echinellum (shown below, in fruit). Although it can be abundant where found, the global distribution of Miccosukee Gooseberry includes just four sites in three counties: Gadsden and Jefferson Counties, Florida and McCormick County, South Carolina.


A trillium common at Stevens Creek that was still in flower when we were there on 3 May was Trillium discolor, shown below. Like so many of the other trillies, Pale Yellow Trillium has a narrow distribution, being restricted to the mountains and piedmont in the upper drainage of the Savanna River. Trillium discolor grows in deciduous forest and is known from just a handful of counties in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.


To wrap up our excursion, we found one last "must see," Trillium lancifolium (below). Although it was past flowering, we couldn't resist numerous photos of this unique trillium that bares a similar appearance to the common Trillium recurvatum that grows here in northern Indiana. Lanceleaf Trillium grows in floodplains and mesic forests in widely separated populations throughout Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, the panhandle of Florida, southern Tennessee, and eastern Mississippi.


It has been fun reliving our whirlwind trip through the mountain, piedmont, and coastal plain provinces of South Carolina. As you can see, South Carolina has a lot to offer to the botanically inclined, and we had a terrific time touring the state.



McPherson, S. Pitcher Plants of the Americas. Blacksburg, Virginia: The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, 2007.

Numerous Plant Quizzes - Annotated Photo

I recently posted the following photograph from Round Lake in Starke County, Indiana as a plant quiz and asked for identification of as many species as possible.


I've labeled the plants that I was able to ID from the photo and my memory of the site. You'll probably need to click on the photo to expand it to see the answers and the plants they are denoting. The key to the answers is below...

A – Solidago graminifolia v. nuttallii (Euthamia graminifolia)
B – Scirpus pungens (Schoenoplectus pungens)
C – Pycnanthemum virginianum
D – Eupatorium maculatum (Eupatoriadelphus maculatus)
E – Potentilla fruticosa (Dasiphora fruticosa)
F – Lysimachia quadriflora
G – Dryopteris thelypteris v. pubescens (Thelypteris palustris v. pubescens)
H – Rosa palustris?
I – Juncus dudleyi
J – Calamagrostis canadensis?
K – Eupatorium perfoliatum
L – Aster novae-angliae
M – Solidago riddellii (Oligoneuron riddellii)
N – Carex sterilis
O – Typha sp.

I don't see Onoclea sensibilis, Carex brunnescens (maybe this was guessed for Carex sterilis?), or Rudbeckia hirta (maybe this was guessed for the yellow composite in the background, which I think may be a Helianthus?), which were all suggested.

Pretty sharp group we have here! There were very few plants that I was able to identify from the photo and my memory of the site that were not identified by the group. Thanks for all of your comments.

January Botany + Plant Quiz

Of course, working on tree bud and bark identification this time of year is fun and all, but it still makes me want a little green. So I decided to see what was green and herbaceous at my local (Central Indiana) woods. Here is a selection of eight that I found. Some of these plants I am pretty sure of, some I think I know, and some I have no clue and would appreciate any help. (Although time should tell.)

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City of the Century

I'm guessing that whoever nicknamed Gary, Indiana the "City of the Century" didn't do so for its botanical wonders, but they really should have. No joke. If you've never botanized in Gary, you are really missing out. Sure, alongside the steel mills, strip clubs, and highways, there are plenty of weeds. Phragmites australis dominates the areas you see as you drive through "The Region." But when you are finally able to fight through the smog and the crowd of people around Michael Jackson's house, you're in for a botanical treat.


This is just one example of what can be found in Gary, a wet sand flat community that was created by sand mining. This is such an interesting plant community, even though it is somewhat artificial. I often wonder how long the seed bank really remains viable when I see communities like this, where seeds are covered by years and years of sand and organic matter accumulation, only to readily germinate once that accumulation is removed and they are exposed by some form of disturbance.

In the photo above, the dominant plant is Cladium mariscoides, shown below. A relative of the sawgrass characteristic of the everglades, this species, known as Smooth Sawgrass and Twig Rush, is neither a grass nor a rush. Instead, it is a sedge. Cladium mariscoides is rare throughout much of its range. It is often found in calcareous or marly soils, but can also grow in acidic soils.


Another sedge that is scattered throughout this community is Schoenoplectus acutus. This species is often confused with Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, but has darker green culms and longer, often lead-colored spikelets. Hard-stemmed Bulrush, as it is known, was used by Native Americans in a variety of ways, including to make baskets, boats, and even houses.

Splashes of yellow in the wet sand flat are provided in part by the two species below. The first is Lysimachia quadriflora. This member of the Primulaceae is most often found in moist prairies and calcareous fens, but can also be found along streambanks. It is always interesting to hear a botanist pronounce the specific epithet of this species, as nearly everyone I know hesitates and thinks it out when they get to the "flora" portion... this is because there is another Lysimachia that has the specific epithet "quadrifolia." According to Gray's Manual of Botany, Lysimachia was named "in honor of King Lysimachus of Thrace, or from lysis, a release from, and mache, strife; tradition telling of Lysimachus, chased by a maddened bull, in desperation seizing a plant of Loosestrife and pacifying the bull by waving the plant before him." If ever I find myself in the field being chased by a maddened bull, I will surely try this tactic.

Hypericum kalmianum, a small shrub in the family Clusiaceae, also has wonderful yellow blooms. Kalm's St. John's Wort is known from Quebec and most of the Great Lakes states and provinces, and is found in sandy or rocky soil, often in open, moist areas.

A rare plant in this community is Clinopodium arkansanum. The fragrance of this mint much exceeds its diminutive leaves and flowers. Limestone Calamint is found in a variety of calcareous habitats, including fens, wet sand, seeps, gravel bars, and on glades. According to Missouri Plants, "chewing on the plant gives you fresh breath that will last for hours."

One of my all-time favorite sedges is Carex viridula. Little Green Sedge can be found in marly and wet sandy soil, calcareous fens, interdunal swales, and moist gravel prairies. Two similar sedges are C. cryptolepis and C. flava, both of which have perigynia greater than 3mm long, some of which are reflexed.

Finally, Carex crawei. I received some assistance in identifying this sedge from Dr. Paul Rothrock at Taylor University. While this plant has strikingly orange perigynia characteristic of Carex aurea, the achenes were trigonous and each flower had three stigmas.

These few species just scratch the surface of the wet sand flats of northwest Indiana. If you're ever vacationing or sightseeing in Gary, I recommend stopping by some of the preserves to get a glimpse of what Gary used to look like.

Southern Indiana Sedgin'

Just ask Lindsay... I've been doing a lot of travelling lately, both for work and for fun. This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to travel for fun - to botanize in southern Indiana. Better than that, I was out in the field all day with Mike Homoya, Indiana's Heritage Botanist. Throughout the day, I could be found frantically scribbling in my notebook about all of the plants we were seeing, many of which I had seen rarely or never before. Some additional photos and commentary are posted here at Through Handlens and Binoculars, but in this post I am focusing on four of the more exciting sedges that we saw.

The sedge above is Carex oklahomensis, Oklahoma Sedge, an endangered species in Indiana. It is somewhat similar to C. stipata, of which it has been treated as a variety in the past, but you'll notice that it doesn't have the spongy, inflated culm of C. stipata. Carex oklahomensis is found in wet meadows, marshes, and alluvial bottomlands, mostly in the plains and southern states. However, its range is thought to be increasing to the north and east. We saw this species in abundance in a wet sand flat.

Yes, it really does exist! Above is Carex lupuliformis, False Hop Sedge, a rare species in Indiana. While its range includes the entire eastern half of North America, it is said to be rare and local where it occurs. Until yesterday, anyone I had ever asked about this species said they had never seen it. You may think that this looks a lot like C. lupulina, the far more common and closely related hop sedge. The best way to tell the two apart is by looking at the achenes, which are longer than wide and not strongly knobbed on the angles in C. lupulina, but which are nearly as wide as long and strongly knobbed on the angles in C. lupuliformis.

Just look at those knobs! After seeing this, I was sure I'd never seen C. lupuliformis before, even though I had seen some plants with achenes that were weakly knobbed on the angles. Mike also pointed out a few additional characters to distinguish the two; C. lupuliformis usually has longer spikes, and the perigynia are usually more spreading than in C. lupulina.

As if seeing these two sedges hadn't already made my day, we also saw Carex crus-corvi, Ravenfoot Sedge, a plant I had only seen once before. Maybe the common name Ravenfoot Sedge makes sense to some, but I think it should be called Golf Tee Sedge.

Agree? These are the perigynia. Get a good look at those long, pointed beaks. The beaks of the perigynia are what make the inflorescence look so "spiky." Carex crus-corvi is found throughout most of the eastern half of the United States, as well as in Ontario, in habitats including wet meadows, marshes, swamps, and alluvial bottomlands.

I apologize that this photo isn't that great, but the culms of this species are shorter than the leaves and therefore the spikes are often somewhat hidden. This is Carex cumberlandensis, Cumberland Sedge. This beautiful sedge is found in mesic forests in the eastern half of the United States, but moreso in the southern portion of this range.

Southern Indiana is a world away from northern Indiana in terms of topography, geology and floral associations. I hope to get back more often in the future, as I rarely have the opportunity to botanize this scenic part of the state.

Boreal Highlights

I had the opportunity to spend the last week in Superior, Wisconsin, working on a boreal forest and black spruce-tamarack swamp restoration with Andrew Blackburn, Josh Brown, Nick Gressick, Nicole Kalkbrenner, and Gary Walton. This is the same site at which we last year found the first state record for Wisconsin of Canadanthus modestus (click here to see my post on that find). Below are some highlights from our visit last week.

This is Viola novae-angliae, a species of boreal forests in Wisconsin that is also known from Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Gary mentioned that it used to be state-listed in Wisconsin; it is common at this site.

Vicia americana is a plant found in a variety of upland habitats in Wisconsin. It is also known from much of North America.

I saw Maianthemum trifolium (=Smilacina trifolia) for the first time ever on this trip. We first saw it in a roadside bog near Wascott, Wisconsin. At our site, it was growing in Sphagnum spp. within the black spruce-tamarack restoration area. It is known from all provinces in Canada, as well as from New England and a handful of northern states in the United States.

Rubus pubescens is an herbaceous, thornless raspberry species of bogs, conifer swamps, boreal forests, lowland forests, sedge meadows, and pine barrens. It is found in nearly every county in Wisconsin, as well as throughout most of Canada and the northern United States.

This is the beautiful sedge Eriophorum angustifolium. This cotton grass is known from the northern half of North America, as well as from a few southwestern states. It grows in a variety of wet habitats.

You may have seen my recent post on this species, Castilleja coccinea. At this site in Superior, Andrew and I found just a single Indian Paintbrush plant. In Wisconsin, this species is found in boreal forests, lowland forests, prairies, and on sand dunes.

We saw numerous sedges on the site, but one of my favorites has to be Carex castanea. Chestnut Sedge, as it is known, is only found in a few northern counties in Wisconsin. It can be found throughout northeastern North America in cedar swamps, mesic conifer-hardwood forests, conifer forests, and mesic meadows.

Corydalis sempervirens is found throughout the eastern United States and Canada, as well as in Alaska and Montana. It is endangered here in Indiana and is rare in the Chicago Region; this was the first time I've ever seen this species. Rock Harlequin is found in sandy soil following a disturbance (fire, scraping, etc.), and it doesn't persist long in the absence of disturbance. In Wisconsin, it is found on cliffs and in savannas. We found it on the site in a burned area.

Last year at the site, we saw Corallorhiza maculata; this year, Gary and Nick found Corallorhiza trifida, a new one for me. In Wisconsin, this species is found in boreal, upland, and lowland forests. Its North American range is generally the northern two-thirds of the continent.

Carex plantaginea (Plantain-Leaved Sedge)

The other day I woke up with an acre in my side, so I went to see the famous Dr. Warren Woods in Michigan for a Hepatica treatment. I emerged feeling refreshed and invigorated, and even my mood was improved. While there I took several shots - none were painful, and the best was this shot of Carex plantaginea flowering on a steep hillside. Unfortunately, the sky in the background overexposed, but it's a new style of picture that I may attempt again. Plants with apetalous flowers are beautiful too... and important!

"I think I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least - and it is commonly more than that - sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements." Henry David Thoreau