Squarrose Sedge (Carex squarrosa)
- Family: Sedge (Cyperaceae)
- Flowering: April-September.
- Field Marks: This species has male flowers below the female flowers. The female spikes are ovoid, with some of the lower perigynia pointing downward.
- Habitat: Wet prairies, swamps, wet woods, wet meadows.
- Habit: Perennial herb with thickened rootstocks.
- Stems: Erect, triangular, rough to the touch, up to 3 feet tall.
- Leaves: Elongated, narrow, usually a little longer than the stems, up to 1/4 inch broad.
- Flowers: Male and female borne separately; the male borne below the female; the spikes 1-3, oblongoid to nearly spherical, up to 1 1/2 inches long, up to 3/4 inch broad; the lowermost perigynia pointing downward.
- Scales: Lanceolate, tapering to a point or a short awn, shorter than the perigynia.
- Sepals: 0.
- Petals: 0.
- Stamens: 3.
- Pistils: Enclosed in a perigynium; each perigynium obovoid, somewhat inflated, up to 1/3 inch long, tapering to a finely toothed beak.
- Fruits: Achenes smooth, ellipsoid, about 1/8 inch long.
- Notes: The achenes are eaten by waterfowl.
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