Description: This native perennial plant is about
1½–3' tall, consisting of tight tufts of leaves and one or more
flowering culms. The erect to ascending culms are light green to green,
3-angled, hairless, and rather spongy toward the base, becoming more slender at
the apex where the inflorescence occurs. The alternate leaves are produced from
infertile shoots and the flowering culms; they are up to 2' long and ½"
across, light
green to green, hairless, and linear in shape. The leaves arch outward and
downward, forming pseudo-rosettes; the larger leaves are conspicuously indented
along their central veins. At the apex of each culm, there is an inflorescence
consisting of a terminal staminate spikelet (less often 2-3 staminate
spikelets) and 2-7 pistillate spikelets. The staminate spikelet is up to 4"
long, light to dark brown, and somewhat flattened; it can be nearly sessile,
short-stalked, or long stalked. Each pistillate spikelet is up to 3½"
long and 1¼" across; it is oblongoid-cylindrical and densely crowded
with the inflated perigynia of the pistillate flowers. Initially, the
pistillate spikelets are light green to green, but they become yellowish brown
with maturity; they usually occur in a loose cluster on short slender
peduncles. Each perigynium is up to 15 mm. (2/3") long and 6 mm. (¼")
across; it is lanceolate-ovoid in shape, tapering to a long conical beak. There
are several longitudinal veins along the outer surface of the perigynium. The
pistillate scales are smaller in size than the perigynia; each of these scales
is lanceolate, tapering gradually into an awned tip. Young pistillate scales
have green central veins and translucent margins; they later become light
brown. The blooming period occurs from late spring to mid-summer (rarely later)
and lasts about 2 weeks. At this time, each pistillate flower has 3 curly white
stigmas that are exerted from the beak of its perigynium. The achenes are about
3 mm. long and 3 mm. across; they are rhomboid and sharply angled (looking like
light green diamonds); sometimes they are slightly knobby where their edges
meet, and their sides are often slightly concave. At the apex of each achene,
there is a persistent style that is coiled or curved near the base; this style
is light green and longer than the achene. The root system consists of short
rhizomes and a dense tuft of fibrous roots. This sedge often forms vegetative
clumps of plants from its rhizomes.
Cultivation: The preference is light shade to full
sun, wet to consistently moist conditions, and a mucky soil. Occasional
flooding is tolerated, although not for long periods of time. The leaves become
a lighter shade of green in bright sunlight.
Range & Habitat: Hop-like Sedge occurs in widely
scattered locations throughout Illinois (see
Distribution
Map); it is fairly uncommon. Habitats include wet to moist areas of
floodplain woodlands, swamps, soggy meadows along streams, degraded marshes,
and roadside ditches. This is primarily a
wetland species that often
occurs in wooded areas that are partially shaded. It also occurs in degraded
wetlands in full sun, often near stands of cattails (Typha spp.) or Reed
Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea). Hop-like Sedge can be used
successfully in wetland restorations.
Faunal
Associations: The flowers are wind-pollinated and do not attract
many insects. The caterpillars of various butterflies, skippers, and moths feed
on Carex spp. (usually the foliage). See the
Lepidoptera Table for a
listing of these species. Other insects feeding on Carex spp. include
Stethophyma lineata (Striped Sedge Grasshopper), Stethophyma
celata (Otte's Sedge Grasshopper), and various leafhoppers (Cosmotettix
spp. & others). The seeds of Carex spp. are eaten by various
upland gamebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds (see the
Bird Table for a listing
of these species).
Photographic
Location: A marsh at the Prairie Ridge State Natural Area in Jasper
County, Illinois. This marsh was created from a farm field.
Comments: This is one of the more attractive sedges
in Illinois – the large pistillate spikelets have a striking appearance,
resembling a spiked-club or similar weapon of medieval warfare. Hop-like Sedge
closely resembles Carex lupulina (Hop Sedge), and distinguishing these
two species can be rather difficult. The most reliable method of identification
involves an examination of their achenes: Hop-like Sedge has rhomboid achenes
that are as broad as they are long (diamond-shaped), while the achenes of Hop
Sedge are longer than they are broad (and somewhat flattened). The common names
of these species refer to the superficial resemblance of their pistillate
spikelets to the fruits of Humulus lupulus (Hop Vine). Another common
name of Carex lupuliformis is False Hop Sedge.