| Carex sprengelii | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
| |
| Hanging spikes of seeds nearing maturity | |
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 | |
Carex sprengelii, known as Sprengel's sedge and long-beaked sedge, [1] is a sedge with hanging seed heads, native to North America.
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
- ^ a b c d 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: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ a b Chayka, Katy; Dziuk, Peter (2016). "Carex sprengelii (Sprengel's Sedge)". Minnesota Wildflowers.
- ^ "Carex sprengelii (long-beaked sedge)". Go Botany. New England Wildflower Society.
External links
- Carex sprengelii in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley