Western Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Carex lenticularis Michx.
- Family: Sedge (Cyperaceae)
- Flowering: June-September
- Field Marks: The distinguishing field characteristics of this sedge are the separate male and female spikes, the 2 stigmas, the lenticular achenes, the brown to blackish scales, and perigynia with nerves on both faces. It differs from the simila
- Habitat: Around lakes and ponds, along streams, wet meadows, sometimes in the mountains.
- Habit: Densely tufted perennial without rhizomes or with very short rhizomes.
- Stems: Upright, up to 2 1/2 feet tall, without hairs.
- Leaves: Elongated, narrow, up to 1/6 inch wide, without hairs, usually not surpassing the inflorescence.
- Flowers: Crowded into dense spikes, the terminal spike usually with all male flowers or occasionally with a few female flowers at the bottom, the other 2-5 spikes with only female flowers, the spikes up to 2 inches long, up to 1/4 inch thick, th
- Sepals: O.
- Petals: O.
- Stamens: 3.
- Pistils: Enclosed in a perigynium; perigynia ellipsoid to ovoid, somewhat flattened, up to 1/8 inch long with a small, entire beak at the tip, with 3-7 nerves on each face; stigmas 2.
- Fruits: Achenes lenticular, about 1/16 inch long, smooth.
- Notes: The achenes are eaten by waterfowl.
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