Do you see...?
Initial growth New growth of the plant is visible after a period of no growth (winter or drought), either as new green shoots sprouting from nodes on existing stems, or new green shoots breaking through the soil surface. For each shoot, growth is considered "initial" until the first leaf has unfolded. More...
Leaves One or more live, green, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "unfolded" once it has grown long enough that the two halves of the leaf blade have begun to spread apart like an open book. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.
What percentage of the plant is green?
Less than 5%
5-24%
25-49%
50-74%
75-94%
95% or more
Flower heads One or more fresh flower heads (inflorescences) are visible on the plant. Flower heads, which include many small flowers arranged in spikelets, emerge from inside the stem and gradually grow taller. Include flower heads with unopened or open flowers, but do not include heads whose flowers have all wilted or dried.
How many fresh flower heads are present?
Less than 3
3 to 10
11 to 100
101 to 1,000
More than 1,000
Open flowers One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. A flower is considered "open" when reproductive parts (male anthers or female stigmata) can be seen protruding from the spikelet. Do not include flowers with wilted or dried reproductive parts.
What percentage of all fresh flowers (unopened plus open) on the plant are open?
Pollen release One or more flowers on the plant release visible pollen grains when gently shaken or blown into your palm or onto a dark surface.
How much pollen is released?
Little: Only a few grains are released.
Some: Many grains are released.
Lots: A layer of pollen covers your palm, or a cloud of pollen can be seen in the air when the wind blows
Fruits One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Carex aquatilis, the fruit is tiny and seed-like, hidden in a small, papery, sac-like bract and grouped with others that are tightly arranged along a few spike-like branches that are staggered along the seed head stem. The seed-like fruit changes from green to brown, hardens as it dries out, and drops from the plant. Do not include seed heads that have already dropped all of their fruits.
How many fruits are present?
Ripe fruits One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Carex aquatilis, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned brown and hard, or when it readily drops from the plant when touched. Do not include seed heads that have already dropped all of their fruits.
What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?
Recent fruit or seed drop One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?
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