Carex sprengelii

Carex sprengelii, known as Sprengel's sedge and long-beaked sedge,[1] is a sedge with hanging seed heads, native to North America.

Carex sprengelii
Hanging spikes of seeds nearing maturity

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Carex
Subgenus: Carex subg. Carex
Section: Carex sect. Hymenochlaenae
Species:
C. sprengelii
Binomial name
Carex sprengelii

Description

Long-beaked sedge has flowering stems (culms) 30 to 90 cm (1 to 3 ft) long. The leaves are 2.5 to 4 mm (0.10 to 0.16 in) wide and shorter than the flowering stems.[1]

Each flowering stem has 1 to 4 spikes of flowers.[2] While flowering, they are crowded at the tip of the stem. The terminal spike is either all male or male with a few female flowers at the bottom. Each female spike has 10 to 40 female flowers, each about 1 mm (0.04 in) apart.[1] Each spike is on its own stalk (pedicel), and each succeeding spike is shorter than the previous one. As the female flowers develop into seeds (achenes), the stalk droops or nods downwards.[2] The bract enclosing the seed has a long tapered tip (beak), which gives the plant its common name.[3]

References
  1. Ball, Peter W.; Reznicek, A. A. "Carex sprengelii". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  2. Chayka, Katy; Dziuk, Peter (2016). "Carex sprengelii (Sprengel's Sedge)". Minnesota Wildflowers.
  3. "Carex sprengelii (long-beaked sedge)". Go Botany. New England Wildflower Society.
  • Carex sprengelii in the CalPhotos Photo Database, University of California, Berkeley
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