Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center


Home	About NPWRC	Our Science	Staff	Employment	Contacts	Common Questions	About the Site

Western Wetland Flora

Field Office Guide to Plant Species

Wood-rush Sedge
Carex lazulina Olney

JPG -- Species Photo JPG -- Distribution Map

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)
Return to Species List -- Group 3
Next Species -- Small-wing Sedge (Carex microptera )

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/florawe/species/3/careluzu.htm
Page Contact Information: Webmaster
Page Last Modified: Saturday, 02-Feb-2013 06:24:31 EST
Sioux Falls, SD [sdww54]