Davis sedge

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Davis sedge leaves

Davis sedge sheath and ligule

Davis sedge

Davis sedge pistillate spikes

Davis sedge inflorescence

Davis sedge terminal spike

Davis sedge inflorescence

Davis sedge inflorescence

Morphology

Culm

Erect to loosely ascending, shorter than to longer than leaves, sharply triangular, glabrous or somewhat hairy, purplish at base.

Leaves

Blades 1/2 to 16 inches long, 1/6 to 1/3 inch wide, flat, green to dark green, glabrous or usually hairy beneath near base; lowermost leaves reduced to nearly bladeless sheaths.

Sheath

Long, hairy, yellowish-brown on inner surface.

Ligule

About as long as wide, U-shaped to broadly V-shaped; inner side thin, white.

Inflorescence

Bracts leaf-like; terminal spike stalked, mostly staminate but with few to several pistillate flowers near tip, linear to narrowly oblanceolate in outline, .6 to 1.5 inches long; staminate scales lanceolate, white with green midrib, tip awned; lateral spikes 2-3, short- to long-stalked, pistillate, .8 to 1.6 inches long, 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide, erect when young, usually drooping at maturity; pistillate scales narrowly elliptic-ovate, white or pale green, midrib green, tapering to awn 1/10 to 1/5 inch long, uppermost pistillate scales with awn more than half as long as body of scale; perigynia ovate-lanceolate, 1/6 to 1/4 inch long, broadest below middle, strongly ribbed, pale green to green, tip tapering to short beak with 2 minute teeth.

Fruit

Achenes, triangular, 1/10 inch long, yellowish-brown, 1-seeded; stigmas 3.

Ecology

Habitat

Rich deciduous woods, edges of streams and rivers, roadsides, occasionally low meadows.

Distribution

Principally east 1/4 of Kansas.

Additional Notes