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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. | |||||||||
| HORNED BEAKRUSH | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Eleocharis engelmannii | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Horned beakrush grows to 40 cm tall, tufted from a fibrous root. The stems are less than 1.5 mm wide. The leaves are bladeless sheaths. The inflorescence is a terminal, solitary spikelet. The spikelet is 5 to 15 mm long and ovoid in shape. There are 25 to 100 brownish to straw-coloured floral scales in each spikelet. The perianth may be absent, but usually there are between five and eight brown bristles. The achenes are oval shaped and the faces are curved inwards on both sides. The achenes are shiny with depressed swellings at the base of the style. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Horned beakrush grows on shores, marsh edges, and in drying slough bottoms. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species grows in southern Saskatchewan in the Moist Mixed Grassland, and Aspen Parkland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Horned beakrush is threatened 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 HORNED BEAKRUSH | |||||||||
| * Are the stems tufted from fibrous roots? * Is the spikelet terminal and solitary? * Are the achene faces curved in on both sides? * Did you find it in southern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found horned beakrush! | |||||||||
