greater bladder sedge

(Carex intumescens)

Conservation Status
greater bladder sedge
Photo by Luciearl
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

OBL - Obligate wetland

     
  Midwest

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

The leaf blades are mostly to 5 16 wide but may be up to ½ wide. The sheath of the uppermost leaf is less than long. The tip of the ligule is rounded.

The inflorescence is 1 staminate spike and 1 to 4 pistillate spikes at the end of the culm. The leaf-like bracts subtending the inflorescence overtop the inflorescence. The staminate spike is on a slender stalk about the same length as the pistillate spikes. The pistillate spikes, if more than 1, are closely grouped and difficult to distinguish. They are slightly longer than wide and have 2 to 12 mostly ascending perigynia. The perigynia are teardrop-shaped, widest below the middle, strongly veined, and shiny. They point outward or upward, and form a cylinder-shaped spike.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

8 to 40

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Gray's sedge (Carex grayi) perigynia are dull, not shiny. They radiate in all directions, including downward, making the head look like a medieval mace.

Hop sedge (Carex lupulina) uppermost leaf sheaths are more than long. Pistillate spikes have up to 80 perigynia and are much longer than wide.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Wet to moderately moist forests, swamps, wet ditches

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

Early June to late August

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  4/16/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Liliopsida (monocots)  
 

Order

Poales (grasses, sedges, cattails, and allies)  
 

Family

Cyperaceae (sedges)  
  Subfamily Cyperoideae  
  Tribe Cariceae  
 

Genus

Carex (true sedges)  
  Subgenus Carex  
  Section Lupulinae  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Carex intumescens var. fernaldii

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

bladder sedge

greater bladder sedge

shining bur sedge

swollen sedge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Bract

Modified leaf at the base of a flower stalk, flower cluster, or inflorescence.

 

Ligule

In grasses and sedges, a membranous appendage at the junction of the leaf and the leaf sheath, sometimes no more than a fringe of hairs. In flowering plants, the flat, strap-shaped, petal-like portion of the corolla of a ray floret.

 

Perigynium

In Carex and other closely related sedges, a sac-like structure that surrounds the pistillate flower and later encloses the achene. Plural: perigynia.

 

Sheath

The lower part of the leaf that surrounds the stem.

 
 
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Luciearl

 
    greater bladder sedge   greater bladder sedge  
           
 
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Other Videos
 
  Carex intumescens habit and dissection
Timothy M. Jones
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Sep 20, 2007

Carex intumescens habit and dissection

   

 

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  Luciearl
6/10/2019

Location: Fairview Twp., Cass County

greater bladder sedge  
           
 
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