Carex sprengelii, known as Sprengel's sedge and long-beaked sedge,[1] is a sedge with hanging seed heads, native to North America.
| Carex sprengelii | |
|---|---|
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| Hanging spikes of seeds nearing maturity | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Genus: | Carex |
| Subgenus: | Carex subg. Carex |
| Section: | Carex sect. Hymenochlaenae |
| Species: | C. sprengelii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Carex sprengelii | |
Description
editLong-beaked sedge has flowering stems (culms) 30 to 90 cm (1 to 3 ft) long. The leaves are 2.5 to 4 mm (0.10 to 0.16 in) wide and shorter than the flowering stems.[1]
Each flowering stem has 1 to 4 spikes of flowers.[2] While flowering, they are crowded at the tip of the stem. The terminal spike is either all male or male with a few female flowers at the bottom. Each female spike has 10 to 40 female flowers, each about 1 mm (0.04 in) apart.[1] Each spike is on its own stalk (pedicel), and each succeeding spike is shorter than the previous one. As the female flowers develop into seeds (achenes), the stalk droops or nods downwards.[2] The bract enclosing the seed has a long tapered tip (beak), which gives the plant its common name.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Ball, Peter W.; Reznicek, A. A. "Carex sprengelii". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ a b Chayka, Katy; Dziuk, Peter (2016). "Carex sprengelii (Sprengel's Sedge)". Minnesota Wildflowers.
- ^ "Carex sprengelii (long-beaked sedge)". Go Botany. New England Wildflower Society.
External links
edit- Carex sprengelii in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley