Species: Carex atherodes
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Awned sedge is a loosely tufted grass-like perennial that grows in patches. There are two kinds of stems on the plants. One type has flowers and fruits (reproductive stems) and the other lacks these structures (vegetative stems). Reproductive stems are less common than the vegetative stems and are often lacking. Reproductive stems are 35-125 cm tall. Leaves are 3-10 mm wide, usually hairy, and are clustered towards the top of the vegetative stems. The upper half of the reproductive stems have 3-11 narrowly cylindrical flower/fruit clusters (spikes). The upper 1-6 are composed of male flowers. The lower 2-5 spikes are mostly composed of female flowers which mature into fruits (perigynia). The fruits are 6.5-12.0 mm long and have a two pronged beak at their apex (Mackenzie 1931-1935, Reznicek and Catling 2002).
Classification
Monocotyledoneae
Cyperales
Cyperaceae
Carex
NatureServe
Classification
Ecology and Life History
Awned sedge is a loosely tufted grass-like perennial that grows in patches. There are two kinds of stems on the plants. One type has flowers and fruits (reproductive stems) and the other lacks these structures (vegetative stems). Reproductive stems are less common than the vegetative stems and are often lacking. Reproductive stems are 35-125 cm tall. Leaves are 3-10 mm wide, usually hairy, and are clustered towards the top of the vegetative stems. The upper half of the reproductive stems have 3-11 narrowly cylindrical flower/fruit clusters (spikes). The upper 1-6 are composed of male flowers. The lower 2-5 spikes are mostly composed of female flowers which mature into fruits (perigynia). The fruits are 6.5-12.0 mm long and have a two pronged beak at their apex (Mackenzie 1931-1935, Reznicek and Catling 2002).