PROTECTING WISCONSIN'S BIODIVERSITY

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

Smooth-sheathed Sedge (Carex laevivaginata)

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Photo by Thomas Meyer

 

Counties with Mapped NHI Occurrences

Smooth-sheathed Sedge (Carex laevivaginata), a Wisconsin Endangered plant, is found in deciduous river bottoms, sloughs, and seeps with wet or inundated soils. It has also been found in sedge meadows, near seeps. Blooming occurs throughout June, fruiting throughout July. The optimal identification period for this species is late-June through early-July.

Carex stipata var. laevivaginata

 
 
 

Smooth-sheathed sedge is a graminoid with 4-20+ spikes per inflorescence. lateral spikes that are staminate or pistillate, sessile, and prophyllate, terminal spike is staminate. Its culms are 40cm-1m. Perigynia are pale brown, red-brown distally, with red-brown veins, cordate, achenes are ovate, persistent style base is cylindric. Sheaths all have blades, fronts are smooth, lacking spots, veinless, apex is yellow, thickened, truncate, cartilaginous, entire. Ligules are acute, 5mm, free limb to 0.5mm, blades are yellow-green, epistomic (with stomata confined to the adaxial or upper surfaces), papillose adaxially. Its scales are hyaline.

It is readily distinguished from all other species in the Vulpinae section by its thickened, yellow sheath apex, smooth sheaths, and the papillose, epistomic leaves (with stomata only on the upper leaf surface). It's most similar to Carex stipata, which has leaf sheaths that are puckered or wrinkled and thin or broken (not thickened) at the apex.

Rhizomatous. Blooming occurs throughout June, fruiting throughout July.

Perennial. The optimal identification period for this species is late-June through early-July.

Associated species include Acer saccharinum and Fraxinus pennsylvanica.

Smooth-sheathed sedge prefers wet, often calcareous soils, and is found in deciduous river bottoms, sloughs, and seeps with wet or inundated soils. It has also been found in sedge meadows, near seeps.

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.

Avoid direct disturbance to sensitive microsites such as seeps, cliffs, and moss-covered boulders.

Buffer management around unique microhabitats such as ephemeral ponds, seeps, etc.

Buffer management around unique microhabitats such as ephemeral ponds, seeps, etc.

Minimize disturbance to hydrology, including soil disturbance from rutting.

Avoid rapid and dramatic reductions in canopy cover and, basal area, in wet areas to reduce risk of swamping.

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.