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fewflower sedge
Scientific Name: Carex pauciflora
Family: Cyperaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Other Names: CT (few-flowered sedge), MA (few-flowered sedge),
Few-Flowered Sedge (Carex pauciflora)
Carex pauciflora, commonly known as few-flowered sedge, is a perennial species belonging to the sedge family.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Carex pauciflora Lightf.
- Family: Cyperaceae
- Rank: Species
Distribution and Habitat
Few-flowered sedge is native to Holarctic wetlands, particularly open bogs. It is also found in two areas of Northern Ireland.
Morphological Characteristics
- It is described as a relatively delicate, grass-like plant.
- It produces wide-spreading underground stems or rhizomes.
- The aerial stems are three-sided.
- It has one to six slender, tapering perigynia that can be spreading or deflexed (bent backwards) at maturity.
- It is a short sedge, growing up to 40 cm long.
Ecological Role
Few-flowered sedge displays mechanical throwing of seeds away from the plant (ballistic dispersal).
Similar Species
It is vaguely similar to Dioecious Sedge (Carex dioica) and Flea Sedge (Carex pulicaris).
Further Information
- Find help and information on Carex pauciflora from the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society).
- Discover Life has a page dedicated to the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Carex pauciflora.