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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 all perennial rhizomatous 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 parallel venation typical
of the monocots. The inflorescences vary greatly among genera. In general,
flowers are in spikelets which are arranged into spikes, racemes, panicles
and umbel-like clusters. In each spikelet 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 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
main genera, Carex, the ovary is enclosed in a sac-like bract called
the perigynium. The fruits are achenes and are lens-shaped or triangular. The sedges are an ecologically important family in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan has 149 species belonging to the Cyperaceae. | |||||||||
| FLATSTEM SPIKERUSH | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Eleocharis compressa | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Flatstem spikerush grows up to 60 cm tall from a stout, firm rhizome. The scales on the rhizome decay into fibres. The stems are mat-forming, flat, and up to five times as wide as thick. Blade bearing leaves are absent. The lower leaf sheaths are reddish at the top and are papery. The inflorescence is made of a solitary, terminal spikelet. The spikelets can be over 1 cm long. The floral scales are medium to dark brown or straw-coloured. Often the tip of the floral scale is jagged. The perianth bristles are absent or less than five. If present, the perianth bristles are straw-coloured and have small spines. The achenes are egg-shaped with a swelling at the base of the style. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Flatstem spikerush grows in wet boggy or springy areas. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species grows in southern Saskatchewan in the Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, and Mid-Boreal Upland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Flatstem spikerush is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon and most local populations are small. No immediate threats are known for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY FLATSTEM SPIKERUSH | |||||||||
| * Are the stems flat and wiry? * Is the spikelet terminal and solitary? * Are the tips of the floral scales jagged? * Did you find it in southern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found flatstem spikerush! | |||||||||
