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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. | |||||||||
| MACKENZIE’S SEDGE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Carex mackenziei | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Mackenzie’s sedge grows as tall as 45 cm from a short, slender rhizome. This species also has an above ground runner. The stems are slender and smooth and may be curved. The leaves are equal to or shorter than the stems. The inflorescence is somewhat interrupted with the lower spikes being well separated. The female flowers are above the male flowers in the same spike. The female flower scales are reddish-brown with a light brown centre and a membranous margin. There are five to ten perigynia per spike. The achenes are pale brown to grayish-brown in colour. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Mackenzie’s sedge grows in brackish or saline marshes. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in east-central Saskatchewan in the Mid-Boreal Lowland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Mackenzie’s sedge is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare and occurs in only one known location in the province. In addition, this population is separated geographically from other Canadian populations. Mackenzie’s sedge is usually locally numerous in small areas. No immediate threats to this species are known in Saskatchewan, but are possible in the future. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY MACKENZIE’S SEDGE | |||||||||
| * Are runners present? * Are the leaves shorter than or equal to the stems? * Are the female flowers above the male flowers in the same spike? * Did you find it in a saline marsh in east-central Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found Mackenzie’s sedge! | |||||||||
