Western Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Carex lazulina Olney
- Family: Sedge (Cyperaceae)
- Flowering: May-July
- Field Marks: The distinguishing features of this sedge are its flattened lanceoloid perigynia that have small teeth along the edges near the tip. There is usually a separate male spikelet above the female ones.
- Habitat: Wet meadows, bogs, other moist areas.
- Habit: Perennial herb with fibrous roots.
- Stems: Upright, up to 2 feet tall, smooth.
- Leaves: Elongated, nearly all crowded near the base of the plant and not longer than the flowering stems, up to 6 inches long, a little less than 1/2 inch wide, smooth.
- Flowers: Borne in spikelets, with 2-6 spikelets not overlapping at the tip of the stem, the inflorescence subtended by a short bract; terminal spike usually male, up to 1 1/2 inches long: female spikes similar but a little thicker, up to 1 1/2 i
- Scales: Lanceolate, brown, never longer than the perigynia, smooth or slightly hairy along the mid-vein.
- Sepals: O.
- Petals: O.
- Stamens: 3.
- Pistils: Enclosed in perigynia; each perigynium lanceoloid, up to 1/4 inch long, smooth or rarely with a few hairs when young flattened, ciliate and minutely toothed near the tip, tapering to a tiny beak; stigmas 3.
- Fruits: Achenes triangular, smooth, up to 1/12 inch long.
- Notes: The achenes are eaten by birds and small mammals.
Previous Species -- Mud Sedge (Carex limosa)
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