"Growing Online"tm

 

 

   

 

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator	OBL
Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Spring and Summer
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Moderate
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Medium
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Green
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Gray-Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Moderate
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Rhizomatous
Growth Rate	Moderate
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	3
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Long
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None
Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	High
CaCO3 Tolerance	Medium
Cold Stratification Required	Yes
Drought Tolerance	None
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	High
Frost Free Days, Minimum	85
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	High
pH, Minimum	5.7
pH, Maximum	7.4
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum	1700
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum	4800
Precipitation, Minimum	14
Precipitation, Maximum	32
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	10
Salinity Tolerance	Low
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-38
Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Spring
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	Medium
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	Yes
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	Yes
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound
Seed Spread Rate	Slow
Seedling Vigor	Low
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	Moderate
Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	Medium
Palatable Graze Animal	High
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Medium
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

 

Kingdom  Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom  Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision  Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division  Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class  Liliopsida -- Monocotyledons

Subclass  Commelinidae

Order  Cyperales

Family  Cyperaceae -- Sedge family

Genus  Carex L. -- sedge P

Species  Carex nebrascensis Dewey -- Nebraska sedge P

 

Uses

Wildlife and Livestock: Nebraska sedge is a valuable forage species used by big game and livestock.  The annual production and nutrient levels are quite high.  It has half the protein level of alfalfa.  It provides cover for nesting waterfowl, seeds for small mammals and birds, and muskrats and geese graze the shoots.  It can be used as a key species to determine grazing pressure.  It has moderate to good palatability early in the season, but becomes tough as the temperatures grow colder. 

 

Conservation Uses: This species has utility for erosion control, constructed wetland system applications, wildlife food and cover, wetland creation and restoration, and for increasing plant diversity in wetland and riparian communities.  Its dense root mass (214 cm of roots/cm3 of soil) makes this species resistant to soil compaction and erosion.  It also makes it an excellent choice for soil stabilization in wetland and riparian sites.  Nebraska sedge is used extensively in bioengineering techniques, because of its root system.  The rhizomes also form a matrix for many beneficial bacteria making this plant an excellent choice for wastewater treatment.

 

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

 

Description

General: Sedge Family (Cyperaceae).  Nebraska sedge is a native, perennial, heavily rhizomatous wetland plant that is found in low valleys to mid-elevations.  It will form dense stands, but more often, it is the dominant member of the wetland community.  It grows in wet to moist meadows, marshes, swamps, ditches, seeps, stockwater ponds, low to moderate gradient streams, riparian wetlands, and lake shores.  It reproduces by rhizomes and seed.  However, seedling establishment is rare probably, because it needs freshly deposited, fertile, moist soil.  Shoots from rhizomes are produced throughout the growing season and into late fall.

 

It forms a dense deep root system with root biomass to 3000g/m2 in the top 20 cm of the soil.  The stems are upright and triangular.  The plants growing in saturated soils will grow to about 90 cm.  The leaves are elongated, alternate, longer or shorter than the stem, up to 12 mm wide, and often with a bluish tinge.  The flowers are borne in spikes.  Male and female spikes are usually separate and on the same plant (monoecious).  One or two male spikes are found above the female spikes.  They are narrowly cylindrical and up to 5 cm long.  Female spikes number from 2-5.  They are 1-5 cm long and the lowest spike is subtended by a leafy bract.  Plants flower in June to August. 

 

The fruits are brown lenticular achenes, up to 2 mm long.  Seed ripens in August to September.  They are surrounded by a "leathery capsule" called a perigynium.  Perigynia are elliptic to ovate, 3 to 4 mm long, and yellowish brown to light brown in color.  The seed (if present) is found in the base of the perigynial cavity.  There are 2.7 million perigynia/kg.  The perigynia is not held tightly in the seed head and high winds and frost will cause the perigynia to drop off.

 

Distribution: Nebraska sedge is common throughout the western Midwest and western United States.  For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

 

Adaptation

It tolerates alkaline conditions very well.  It is a wetland obligate plant.  Nebraska sedge grows in areas that are saturated.  It can handle standing water for long periods as long as there are periods where the soils dry.  The sites where it is found rarely have the water table drop more than 1 m below the root zone late in the growing season.  It can tolerate total inundation for about 3 months.

 

Seeds and Plant Production

Collection and cleaning: Seeds may be collected by hand striping the seed from the plant or clipping it using a pair of hand shears.  A power seed harvester may also be used.  The perigynia is often mistaken for the seed.  In many cases, especially if there is a frost during flowering, the seed will not fill, but the perigynia will still form.  It is recommended the collector open several perigynia to see if it actually contains a seed.

 

If debris or other seed mixed in the collection, cleaning may be desirable.  The hammer mill is used to break up the large debris and knock the seed loose from the stem.  It may not always be needed.  Cleaning can be accomplished using a seed cleaner with a No. 8 top screen and a No. 20 bottom screen.  Screens should be sized so desired seed will fall through and debris and weed seed are removed.  Air velocity should be adjusted so chaff and empty perigynia is blown away.  Air flow and screen size may require adjustment to optimize cleaning process for given situation.

 

Once the "seed" is cleaned, the perigynia must be removed.  It can be removed with a seed scarifier or a sandpaper box.  The seed is then re-cleaned using the top and bottom screens to separate the seed from the empty perigynia.

 

Special Precautions: The germination rate may be enhanced by removing the perigynia and by stratifying the seed in a mixture of water and sphagnum moss at 2° C for 30 days.

 

Greenhouse Seeds need light, moisture, and heat for germination. Place seeds on surface of soil and press in lightly to assure good soil contact. Do not cover seed. Soil should be kept muddy. Greenhouse should be kept hot (32°C to 38°C). Germination should begin with in about one week. Maintain moisture until plants are to be transplanted.

 

Wild transplants: Wild plants can be collected and transplanted directly into the desired project site.  As long as no more than 4 dm squared and 13 to 15 cm deep is removed from any 1 m2 area, the hole will fill in within one growing season.  Care should be taken not to collect plants from weedy areas as these weeds can be relocated to the transplant site and the hole left at the collection site may fill with undesirable species.

 

Establishment

Planting plugs (either from the greenhouse or wild transplants) is the surest way to establish a new stand of this species.  Plug spacing of 30 to 45 cm will fill in within one growing season.  The soil should be kept saturated with no more than 2.5 to 5.1 cm of standing water until the plants are well established and the aerenchymous material (the above ground biomass) is about 0.3 m tall.  Fluctuating the water level during the establishment period may speed establishment and spread.  Water levels can be managed to enhance rhizome spread and to control weeds.

 

Management

The soil should be kept saturated.  The water table should rarely drop below the root zone.  This species can tolerate periods of drought and total inundation.  Water levels can be managed to control terrestrial weeds.

 

Pests and Potential Problems

Few insect or disease problems have been encountered in the greenhouse.  Aphids will feed on the stems, but little or no damage has been noted and the vigor of the plant has not been affected.

 

Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information.  Look in the phone book under ”United States Government”.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”

 

References

USDA NRCS. Wetlant plant fact sheet – creeping spikerush (Eleocharis palustris). Interagency Riparian/Wetland Project, Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, Idaho.

 

Prepared By:

Dan Ogle, USDA NRCS Idaho State Office, Boise, Idaho.

 

Species Coordinator:

Dan Ogle, USDA NRCS Idaho State Office, Boise, Idaho.

 

Edited: 28sep05 jsp

 

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

 

 

Attribution:  U.S. Department of Agriculture