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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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| BROWN BEAKSEDGE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Rhynchospora fusca | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Brown beaksedge is between 10 and 50 cm tall. The rhizomes are slender and resemble runners. The stems are thread-like and can be erect or curved. The leaves are also thread-like and are shorter than the stem. The inflorescence has one or two clusters of spikelets. The floral scales are reddish-brown to deep red. The fertile scales are often awned. There are six perianth bristles that have downward pointing barbs. Each spikelet produces two brown, shiny achenes. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Brown beaksedge grows in sandy and peaty soils near ponds and in bogs. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species grows in northwestern Saskatchewan in the Athabasca Plain ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Brown beaksedge is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is rare. This species is regionally restricted and local population sizes vary. No immediate threats are known at the present time. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY BROWN BEAKSEDGE | |||||||||
| * Are the spikelets red to brown? * Are the fertile scales awned? * Do the perianth bristles have downward pointing barbs? * Did you find it in northwestern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found brown beaksedge! | |||||||||
