Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains

62. Cyperaceae, the Sedge Family

2. Carex L. -- Sedge

39. Carex nebraskensis Dewey -- Nebraska sedge

Loosely to densely tufted from long rhizomes; culms stout, erect, 2.5-12 dm long, trigonous, shorter than to exceeding the leaves. Leaves glaucous, 3-8 mm wide, the lower ones with well-developed blades; sheaths septate-nodulose dorsally, hyaline and often yellow-brown tinged ventrally. Spikes unisexual or an occasional 1 or 2 androgynous, the upper 1-2(4) staminate, the terminal one largest, 1.5-4 cm long; lateral spikes pistillate or occasionally 1 or 2 androgynous, 2-5, erect, separate, sessile or the lower ones short-peduncled, 1-5 cm long; pistillate scales brown to nearly black, obtuse to acuminate, mostly about equaling the perigynia. Perigynia ascending to spreading, brown or stramineous at maturity, plano-convex or biconvex, oblong-obovate, 3-3.5 mm long, ca. 1/2 as wide, 2-ribbed, conspicuously nerved between the ribs; beak 0.3-0.5 mm long, shallowly bidentate; achenes lenticular, 1.5-2 mm long; stigmas 2. Jun--Jul. Wet meadows, marshes, streams and springs; e MT to sc ND, s to NE and e CO, especially common in the Sand Hills and the Black Hills; (ND to B.C., s to KS, NM and CA).


Carex nebraskensis (from Hermann 1970).

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