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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. | |||||||||
| FOX SEDGE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Carex vulpinoidea var. vulpinoidea | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Fox sedge grows as tall as 60 cm from short, tough rootstocks. The stems are densely tufted and firm. The leaves are inserted over half way up the stem and may be longer than the stem by as much as 10 cm. The spike bracts are bristle-like. The male flowers are above the female flowers in the same spike. The male flowers are not easily visible because of their size. The female flowers are larger with brown, awned scales. The perigynia are greenish or straw-coloured. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Fox sedge grows on wet shores and in moist meadows. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found central Saskatchewan in the Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, and Mid-Boreal Lowland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Fox sedge is vulnerable in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon. It occurs over a wide range in the province but most local populations are small. No threats are known or anticipated for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY FOX SEDGE | |||||||||
| * Are the stems densely tufted? * Are the male flowers above the female flowers in the same spike? * Are the female flower scales awned? * Did you find it in central Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found fox sedge! | |||||||||
