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Morphology
- Culm
- Erect to ascending to prostrate, 3-sided, very slender, grooved.
- Leaves
- 3-6, basal and alternate on lower 1/4 of culm; blades 1 to 16 inches long, 1/25 to 1/12 inch wide, shorter than flowering culm, ascending to arching, flat, glabrous, margins and mid-vein rough.
- Sheath
- Tight around culm, green.
- Ligule
- U-shaped, as wide or wider than long.
- Inflorescence
- 1 to 3 inches long, 1/5 to 1/3 inch wide; lowest bract bristle-like, 2 to 3 inches long, extending above upper spike; spikes, 4-8, upper spikes sometimes close to one another, lowermost spikes well separated; perigynia 3-9 per spike, spreading or reflexed, sessile, tip obtuse, acute, or awned, staminate flowers at tip, pistillate flowers at base; pistillate scales ovate, half as long as perigynia, mid-vein green, tip rounded to bluntly pointed; staminate scales inconspicuous; perigynia green to yellowish brown, ovoid-lanceoloid, 1/10 to 1/8 inch, 2-3 times as long as wide, longitudinally ridged, margins minutely toothed in upper 1/3, tapering to short 2-toothed beak; stigmas 2, reddish brown, mostly straight.
- Fruit
- Achenes, yellowish to dark brown, ovoid.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Mesic to wet woodlands, often in seasonal wet areas.
- Distribution
- East 1/4 of Kansas
Additional Notes
Comments
Forms dense clumps. The old, dead leaves often persist to the next growing season. Carex radiata is very similar to Carex rosea.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Sedge
- Family
- Cyperaceae - Sedge Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 8-32 inches
- Last Updated
- 2023-02-03
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: April, May, June