Species: Carex magellanica ssp. magellanica
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Poor Sedge forms small clusters on short or long rhizomes and has flowering stems up to 40 cm tall that are conspicuously clothed at the base with the dried leaves from the previous year. The leaves are mostly flat, 2-4 mm wide, and confined to the lower half of the stem. The inflorescence consists of a narrow terminal spike of male flowers and usually 2-3 mainly female spikes with fruits, the lower of which are nodding on long stalks. The terminal spike is 4-12 mm long and 2-4 mm wide; the lower spikes are 4-22 mm long and 4-8 mm wide, and often have a few male flowers at the base. The uppermost leaf (bract) subtending the lowest spike is slightly longer than the terminal spike. Scales which make up the spikes are light or dark brown, often with a greenish midvein. The perigynia are pale green, glabrous, oval in outline, and 2-3 mm long; the enclosed seed is triangular in cross-section.
Classification
Monocotyledoneae
Cyperales
Cyperaceae
Carex
NatureServe
Classification
Ecology and Life History
Poor Sedge forms small clusters on short or long rhizomes and has flowering stems up to 40 cm tall that are conspicuously clothed at the base with the dried leaves from the previous year. The leaves are mostly flat, 2-4 mm wide, and confined to the lower half of the stem. The inflorescence consists of a narrow terminal spike of male flowers and usually 2-3 mainly female spikes with fruits, the lower of which are nodding on long stalks. The terminal spike is 4-12 mm long and 2-4 mm wide; the lower spikes are 4-22 mm long and 4-8 mm wide, and often have a few male flowers at the base. The uppermost leaf (bract) subtending the lowest spike is slightly longer than the terminal spike. Scales which make up the spikes are light or dark brown, often with a greenish midvein. The perigynia are pale green, glabrous, oval in outline, and 2-3 mm long; the enclosed seed is triangular in cross-section.