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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| 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. | |||||||||
| GLACIER SEDGE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Carex glacialis | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Glacier sedge grows as tall as 15 cm from a very short rhizome and fibrous roots. The stems are tufted and often form clumps. The leaves are shorter than the stem and about 1 mm wide. From the side, the yellowish-green leaves are arc-shaped. The inflorescence is made of one, terminal male-flowered spike and two to three female-flowered spikes below. The bract of the lowest spike has an awn-like blade. The female-flowered spikes have egg-shaped scales that are reddish-brown with clear margins. The reddish-brown perigynia are only two-nerved. The female flowers have three stigmas. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Glacier sedge grows in wet meadows and on shorelines. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in northern Saskatchewan in the Tazin Lake Upland and Selwyn Lake Upland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Glacier sedge is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is rare. It is only somewhat regionally restricted to the northern regions of the province but exists in areas of planned developments. Population sizes vary. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY GLACIER SEDGE | |||||||||
| * Are the leaves arc-shaped from the side? * Are the male and female flowers in separate spikes? * Do the plants form clumps? * Did you find it in northern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found glacier sedge! | |||||||||
