Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
62. Cyperaceae, the Sedge Family
2. Carex L. -- Sedge30. Carex lacustris Willd.
Tufted from prolonged scaly rhizomes; culms stout, erect, trigonous, 6-13 dm long, roughened. Leaves about equaling or slightly exceeding the culm, 6-15 mm wide; sheaths often partly red-tinged, the lower ones disintegrating into a network of fibers. Spikes unisexual, the upper 2-4 staminate, sessile, 4-7 cm long, the lower 2-4 pistillate, erect, usually separate, sessile or short-peduncled, cylindric, 3-10 cm long, 3-15 mm thick; bracts leaflike, some or all exceeding the inflorescence; pistillate scales awned or acuminate, the body shorter than the perigynia, hyaline to pale brown on the sides. Perigynia olive, flattened-subterete, slenderly ovoid, 5.5-7 mm long, with more than 10 strong, elevated nerves, tapering to a smooth beak ca. 1 mm long, the beak teeth 0.4-0.8 mm long, erect or slightly curved; achenes trigonous, 2-2.5 mm long; stigmas 3, the lower portion of the style straight and persistent. Jun--early Jul. Swamps, marshes, and springs, usually in shallow water; scattered and locally abundant from nc and e ND to ne SD, also the Sand Hills and e NE; (Que. to Sask., s to FL and TX).
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