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white edge sedge

Scientific Name: Carex debilis var. debilis

Family: Cyperaceae

Category: Monocot

Growth: Graminoid

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

White Edge Sedge (Carex debilis)

Considerations for Pets

  • Some varieties of sedges have sharp edges.

Scientific Name and Common Names

  • Scientific Name: Carex debilis
  • Common Names: White Edge Sedge, Weak Sedge

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Genus: Carex L.
  • Family: Cyperaceae (Sedge family)
  • Varieties:
    • Carex debilis var. debilis
    • Carex debilis var. intercursa Fernald
    • Carex debilis var. rudgei

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to: United States (Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois), Canada (Nova Scotia).
  • Introduced to: Portugal (Azores).
  • Found in various habitats, including moorland, pond edges, bog pools, and wet peaty ground.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Plants are densely cespitose (growing in tufts or clumps).
  • Flowering stems (culms) are dark maroon at the base, ranging from 25-100 cm in length, and can be as long as or longer than the leaves.
  • Tiny white flowers are a bonus.
  • Graminoid plant form, with flowers arranged in a spike.

Quirky Facts

  • White-edged sedge is extremely variable in appearance.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Associated with other species in shoreline habitats, such as sand sedge (Carex arenaria) and red fescue.
  • White-beak sedge is also associated with pool edges.

Further Information

  • Discover Life: Biology, natural history, ecology, identification and distribution information.
  • New England Wild Flower Society: Information available through Arthur Haines.