''Carex annectens'', sometimes called yellow-fruited fox sedge, is a species of
sedge
The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...
native to most of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
[ It is common in prairies and high-]water table
The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated.
T ...
fallow field
Fallow is a farming technique in which arable land is left without sowing for one or more vegetative cycles. The goal of fallowing is to allow the land to recover and store organic matter while retaining moisture and disrupting pest life cycles ...
s. In the Chicago area, its coefficient of conservatism
Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) is a tool used to assess an area's ecological integrity based on its plant species composition. Floristic Quality Assessment was originally developed in order to assess the likelihood that impacts to an area "woul ...
is 3 (out of 10),[ and in Michigan, it is only 1,][ indicating its relatively low fidelity to high quality habitats.
]
Description
It is often confused with '' Carex vulpinoidea''.[ It can be distinguished from ''C. vulpinoidea'' by its longer leaves (exceeding the height of the flowering stems), the more elongated ]perigynia
In botany, a perigynium (plural: perigynia), also referred to as a utricle, typically refers to a sac that surrounds the achene of plants in the genus ''Carex'' (Cyperaceae). The perigynium is a modified prophyll, tissue of leaf origin, that enclos ...
, and the longer flowering spikes (often more than 5.5 cm long).[ Like many sedges, the perigynia of ''Carex annectens'' begin to ripen in June.][
]
Taxonomy
It was first formally described as ''Carex xanthocarpa'' var. ''annectens'' in 1896 by American botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
Eugene P. Bicknell
Eugene Pintard Bicknell (September 23, 1859 – February 9, 1925) was an American botanist and ornithologist.
Bicknell was born at Riverdale-on-Hudson, the sixth son of Maria Theresa Pierrepont and Joseph Inglis Bicknell. The family was descended ...
.[
Two varieties are sometimes accepted:][
* ''C. annectens'' var. ''annectens'' – large-seeded fox sedge
* ''C. annectens'' var. ''xanthocarpa'' – small-seeded fox sedge
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2938232
annectens
Flora of North America