|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
|||||||||
| THE SEDGE FAMILY | |||||||||
| The sedge family is widespread around
the world, but these plants are usually found in damp habitats in subarctic
to temperate regions. The sedge family is very large, with approximately
5,315 species! There is a lot of variability within the family, but in general,
they are perennial herbs. The stems are solid and are frequently three sided.
The leaves are in three vertical rows. The basal sheath of the leaves is
closed. The leaves are linear and have the parallel venation typical of
the monocots. The inflorescences vary greatly among genera. In general,
flowers are in spikes or spikelets which are arranged into spikes, racemes,
panicles and umbrella-like clusters. In each spike there are bracts, usually
at least one per flower. The flowers are reduced, meaning that they do not
have obvious sepals and petals. The sepals and petals, if present, are often
in the form of bristles, scales or hairs. There are three stamens and two
or three carpels. The flowers may have both male and female parts or only
one of the two. In one of the largest genera, Carex, the ovary is enclosed
in a sac-like bract called the perigynium. The fruits are single-seeded,
lens-shaped or triangular structures called achenes. The sedges are an ecologically important family in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan has 149 species belonging to the Cyperaceae. | |||||||||
| ELK SEDGE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Carex garberi | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Elk sedge grows as tall as 50 cm from slender, straw-coloured rhizomes and thin fibrous roots. The leaves are basal or low on the stem. The longest leaves reach the inflorescence. The leaf margins are slightly inrolled. The terminal spike in the inflorescence usually has female flowers above the male flowers. The lower spikes are generally all female-flowered. The female flower scales are reddish-brown to purplish with a green midrib. The perigynia are whitish because they are covered in small, white bumps. Each female flower has two stigmas. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Elk sedge grows in boggy or marshy areas and in depressions. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in throughout Saskatchewan in the following ecoregions: Cypress Upland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, Churchill River Upland, Athabasca Plain, and Selwyn Lake Upland. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Elk sedge is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. This species is relatively abundant and apparently secure, with many localities; however, because local populations are usually quite small, this species is considered to be at risk. No immediate threats are known at the present. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY ELK SEDGE | |||||||||
| * Are the perigynia whitish in colour? * Does the terminal spike have female flowers above the male flowers? * Are the leaf margins inrolled? * Did you find it in a boggy or marshy area or in a depression? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found elk sedge! | |||||||||
