Northeast Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Carex trisperma Dewey
- Family: Sedge (Cyperaceae)
- Flowering: June-August
- Field Marks: This species is distinguished by its 2 or 3 spikes, each with only 2-5 female flowers, the lowest spike subtended by a long, slender bract.
- Habitat: Bogs, swampy woods.
- Habit: Tufted perennial from slender stolons.
- Stems: Sprawling, very weak, thread-like, up to 4 feet long, much longer than the leaves.
- Leaves: Elongated, soft, flat, up to 1/10 inch wide.
- Flowers: Male and female borne in the same spike, the male flowers at the base; spikes 2-3, each with 2-5 female flowers, the lowermost subtended by a very long, slender bract.
- Sepals: 0.
- Petals: 0.
- Stamens: 3.
- Pistils: Borne in a perigynium, the perigynium elliptic to oblong, very short-beaked, finely nerved, smooth, 1/6-1/4 inch long; each perigynium subtended by ovate-oblong scales equal to or shorter than the perigynium; stigmas 2.
- Fruits: Achenes lenticular, about 1/8 inch long.
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