Carex amplifolia
Encyclopedia
Carex amplifolia is a species of sedge
known by the common name bigleaf sedge. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to Montana
to California
, where it grows in wet and seasonally wet areas in coniferous forests.
sedge produces stems 50 to 100 centimeters tall. The winged stems have reddish tinted bases and are wrapped in long, roughly hairy leaves up to 2 centimeters wide. The inflorescence
is made up of 5 to 8 cylindrical spikes each up to 10 or 14 centimeters long and often made up of hundreds of individual flowers.
Carex
Carex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
known by the common name bigleaf sedge. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in wet and seasonally wet areas in coniferous forests.
Description
This rhizomatousRhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
sedge produces stems 50 to 100 centimeters tall. The winged stems have reddish tinted bases and are wrapped in long, roughly hairy leaves up to 2 centimeters wide. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is made up of 5 to 8 cylindrical spikes each up to 10 or 14 centimeters long and often made up of hundreds of individual flowers.