Carex disperma
Encyclopedia
Carex disperma is a species of sedge
known by the common name softleaf sedge. It is native to much of the northern Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska
to Greenland
, most of Canada
and the contiguous United States, and across Eurasia.
s, meadows, and moist forest understory. This sedge produces thin, nodding stems up to 60 centimeters long from a network of branching rhizome
s. The leaves are flat, green, and very narrow, less than 2 millimeters wide. The small open inflorescence
is made up of 2 to 4 small rounded spikes.
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 softleaf sedge. It is native to much of the northern Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, most of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the contiguous United States, and across Eurasia.
Description
Carex disperma grows in many types of wet habitat, such as swampSwamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, meadows, and moist forest understory. This sedge produces thin, nodding stems up to 60 centimeters long from a network of branching rhizome
Rhizome
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...
s. The leaves are flat, green, and very narrow, less than 2 millimeters wide. The small open 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 2 to 4 small rounded spikes.