Brown Bog Sedge. Summary. Protection Threatened in New York State, not listed federally.

Transcription

1 Brown Bog Sedge Carex buxbaumii Scientific Name Family Name Carex buxbaumii Wahlenb. Cyperaceae Sedge Family Did you know? The specific epithet buxbaumii is for Johann Christian Buxbaum who lived from (Fernald 1970). Photo credits: Stuart Kooge Summary Protection Threatened in New York State, not listed federally. Rarity G5, S2 This level of state protection means: listed species are those with: 1) 6 to fewer than 20 extant sites, or 2) 1,000 to fewer than 3,000 individuals, or 3) restricted to not less than 4 or more than 7 U.S.G.S. 7 ½ minute topographical maps, or 4) listed as threatened by U.S. Department of Interior. A global rarity rank of G5 means: This species is demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. A state rarity rank of S2 means: This plant is threatened/imperiled in New York because of rarity (typically 6-20 populations or few remaining individuals) or is vulnerable to extirpation from New York due to biological factors. Conservation Status in New York There are approximately ten known populations and as many as twenty additional historical locations. These populations are widely scattered throughout the entire state. This plant may be impacted by invasive wetland species. Only one population has over a thousand stems, with typical populations having a few hundred stems. Most of the Long Island historical locations are considered extirpated. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Brown Bog Sedge (Carex buxbaumii)

2 Short-term Trends There are about 10 populations that have been seen in recent years. Exact trends at these populations is unknown. Most of these populations are not large but appear healthy. There is no reason to suspect that they are declining but there is no data to prove this assertion. Therefore, short term trends are unknown but are suspected of being stable. Long-term Trends At least four populations that occurred in the New York City area are believed extirpated. There are at least 20 additional populations that have not been seen in recent years. One of these populations was searched for without success but may still be extant. It is unknown if the other historical populations are still extant. Overall, long term trends are not clear but indicate at least some decline. Conservation and Management Threats Currently there are no threats to populations of Carex buxbaumii but potential threats include development, invasive species, and flooding by beaver. Conservation Strategies and Management Practices Invasive species need to be monitored at one population and controlled if negatively impacting the habitat where the C. buxbaumii occurs. One site needs to be monitored for flooding by beavers and flooding needs to be prevented. At least one population needs to be protected from potential adjacent development. Research Needs All populations that have not been seen in recent years need to be surveyed to determine if they are still extant. Habitat Carex buxbaumii occurs in a variety of wet habitats but prefers calcareous sites. It grows in rich fens, swamps, wet meadows, ice scoured river edges, lake shores, and vernal ponds. It is mostly found in relatively small patches (New York Natural Heritage Program 2006). Wet meadows, marshes, and fens (Murray 2002). Peat-bogs, marshes, wet meadows, and other wet places (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Shores, meadows, marshes, and old bogs, often forming large stands; sometimes in marly bogs and marshes; in crevices and hollows of the rock shore of Lake Superior (Voss 1972). Wet shores, swamps, and bogs (Fernald 1970). Sunny swamps or wet meadows or springy places in calcareous regions (Mackenzie ). Associated Ecological Communities Red Maple-tamarack Peat Swamp A swamp that occurs on organic soils (peat or muck) in poorly drained depressions. These swamps are often spring fed or enriched by seepage of mineral-rich groundwater resulting in a stable water table and continually saturated soil. The dominant trees are red maple NYNHP Conservation Guide - Brown Bog Sedge (Carex buxbaumii) 2

3 and tamarack. These species usually form an open canopy (50 to 70% cover) with numerous small openings dominated by shrubs or sedges. Rich Graminoid Fen A wetland of mostly grasses usually fed by water from highly calcareous springs or seepage. These waters have high concentrations of minerals and high ph values, generally from 6.0 to 7.8. Plant remains do not decompose rapidly and these grasses usually grow on older, undecomposed plant parts. Rich Sloping Fen A small, gently sloping wetland that occurs in a shallow depression on a slope composed of calcareous glacial deposits. Sloping fens are fed by small springs or groundwater seepage. Like other rich fens, their water sources have high concentrations of minerals and high ph values, generally from 6.0 to 7.8. They often have water flowing at the surface in small channels or rivulets. Riverside Ice Meadow A meadow community that occurs on gently sloping cobble shores and rock outcrops along large rivers in areas where winter ice floes are pushed up onto the shore, forming an ice pack that remains until late spring. The ice scours the meadow, cutting back woody plants. Vernal Pool An aquatic community of one or more intermittently ponded, small, shallow depressions typically within an upland forest. Vernal pools are typically flooded in spring or after a heavy rainfall, but are usually dry during summer. Substrate is typically dense leaf litter over hydric soils. Vernal pools typically occupy a confined basin (i.e., a standing waterbody without a flowing outlet), but may have an intermittent stream flowing out of it during high water. This community includes a diverse group of invertebrates and amphibians that depend upon temporary pools as breeding habitat. These include amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, mollusks, annelids, and insects. Other Probable Associated Communities Calcareous shoreline outcrop Cobble shore Inland calcareous lake shore Marl fen Rich hemlock-hardwood peat swamp Rich shrub fen Sedge meadow Associated Species Vanilla Grass (Anthoxanthum nitens) Water Sedge (Carex aquatilis) Yellow Sedge (Carex flava) Inland Sedge (Carex interior) American Woollyfruit Sedge (Carex lasiocarpa) Prairie Sedge (Carex prairea) Sartwell's Sedge (Carex sartwellii) NYNHP Conservation Guide - Brown Bog Sedge (Carex buxbaumii) 3

4 Dioecious Sedge (Carex sterilis) Rigid Sedge (Carex tetanica) Twig Rush (Cladium mariscoides) Beaked Spike-rush (Eleocharis rostellata) Green Keeled Cottongrass (Eriophorum viridicarinatum) Baltic Rush (Juncus balticus) Spiked Muhly (Muhlenbergia glomerata) Northern Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) Oligoneruron ohioense Carolina Grass-of-parnassus (Parnassia glauca) Common Reed (Phragmites australis ssp. americanus) Alderleaf Buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia) Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) Identification Comments Brown Bog Sedge is a loosely clumped grass-like perennial that grows in patches. The bases of the plants are purplish-red tinged. Leaves are strap-like, mm wide, and light-green. Stems are cm long and are terminated by one flower/fruit cluster (spike). This terminal spike has female flowers above and male flowers below. Also towards the apex of the stem are 2-4 cylindrical spikes composed entirely of female flowers. These spikes are on short, erect, secondary stems that attach to the main stem. The female flowers mature into fruit (perigynia) which are mm long (Mackenzie , Murray 2002). Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species It is easiest to identify this species when it has just immature to mature perigynia but the perigynia are not easily shedding. Rhizomes are helpful in identification and should be collected. The Best Time to See Carex buxbaumii starts to produce immature perigynia from early to late-june. These mature and persist until late July or August. Towards the end of this season the perigynia start to shed easily. Plants from warmer or more southern parts of New York will mature earlier and plants from cooler or more northern parts of New York will mature later. The best time to survey for this species is mid-june till mid to late July but location in the state should be factored into determining the best time to survey for C. buxbaumii. Fruiting Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The time of year you would expect to find Brown Bog Sedge in New York. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Brown Bog Sedge (Carex buxbaumii) 4

5 Similar Species Carex buxbaumii is a very distinctive sedge and should not easily be confused with other species in New York. Characters that help separate it from other species include the short pedunculate erect lateral spikes, gynecandrous terminal spike, ascending short or unbeaked perigynia, and elongated rhizomes. Conservation Comments Carex buxbaumii is in section Racemosae. Many authors had previously placed C. buxbaumii in section Atratae but Racemosae is an older name (Mackenzie , Murray 2002). The only other member of section Racemosae that occur in New York is C. atratriformis (Murray 2002). Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Plantae Anthophyta Class Monocots (Monocotyledoneae) Order Cyperales Family Additional Common Names Buxbaum's sedge Sedge Cyperaceae (Sedge Family) Synonyms Carex polygama (Schkuhr 1801 not Gmelin 1796) Additional Resources Links USDA Plants Database CAREX+BUXBAUMII NatureServe Explorer New York Flora Atlas Google Images Flora of North America NYNHP Conservation Guide - Brown Bog Sedge (Carex buxbaumii) 5

6 Best Identification Reference Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp. References Fernald, M.L Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. D. Van Nostrand, New York pp. Holmgren, Noel The Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery, and map unit tables. Mackenzie, K.K Cariceae. North American Flora 18: Murray, D.F Carex Linnaeus sect. Racemosae G. Don. Pages in Flora of North America Editorial Committee (editors), Flora of North America, North of Mexico, Volume 23, Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA. 608pp + xxiv. NatureServe NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA New York Natural Heritage Program Biotics database. New York Natural Heritage Program. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. Reschke, Carol Ecological communities of New York State. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Latham, NY. 96 pp. plus xi. Voss, E.G Michigan flora: A guide to the identification and occurrence of the native and naturalized seed-plants of the state. Part I. Gymnosperms and monocots. Cranbrook Institute of Science and Univ. Michigan Herbarium. Ann Arbor. 488 pp. Weldy, T. and D. Werier New York flora atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and L.D. Mabe (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research University of South Florida New York Flora Association Albany, New York New York Natural Heritage Program 625 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY Phone: (518) acris@nynhp.org This project is made possible with funding from: - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program - Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation - New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Information for this guide was last updated on Aug 11, 2017 This guide was authored by NYNHP Conservation Guide - Brown Bog Sedge (Carex buxbaumii) 6