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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. |
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| SLENDER SPIKERUSH | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Rhynchospora capillacea | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Slender spikerush grows as tall as 40 cm. Its rhizomes are slender and may resemble runners. The stems are very thin and thread-like. The leaves are usually shorter than the stem, though the uppermost leaf may extend past the inflorescence. The inflorescence is made of one or two terminal clusters of spikelets. Each cluster has two to ten spikelets. The floral scales are pale red to brown. The lower floral scales may not have stamens or ovaries. There are six perianth bristles that are shorter or equal to the achene. The achenes are pale brown, with a narrowly triangular swelling at the top near the base of the style. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Slender spikerush grows in calcareous bogs in the southern boreal forest. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species grows in central Saskatchewan in the Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, and Aspen Parkland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Slender spikerush is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is rare or uncommon. This species is regionally restricted and local population sizes vary. No immediate threats are known at the present time. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SLENDER SPIKERUSH | |||||||||
| * Are the spikelets red to brown? * Are the clusters of spikelets terminal? * Are the stems solitary? * Did you find it in central Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found slender spikerush! | |||||||||
