Carex hassei
Encyclopedia
Carex hassei is a species of sedge
known by the common name salt sedge. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to Baja California
to New Mexico
, where it grows in moist places, such as meadows.
, and has sometimes been treated as part of that species. It produces stems up to about 40 centimeters tall, or sometimes taller. The inflorescence
has a long, leaflike bract
that is longer than the spikes. The flowers have reddish-brown, white-tipped scales and the fruit is coated in a perigynium which is fleshy, bumpy, and light in color.
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 salt 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 Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where it grows in moist places, such as meadows.
Description
This sedge, Carex hassei, is similar to the Golden sedge, Carex aureaCarex aurea
Carex aurea is a species of sedge known by the common name golden sedge. It is native to much of North America, including most of Canada and the western and central United States. It grows in wet habitat, often on soils of a basic pH.-Description:...
, and has sometimes been treated as part of that species. It produces stems up to about 40 centimeters tall, or sometimes taller. 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...
has a long, leaflike bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
that is longer than the spikes. The flowers have reddish-brown, white-tipped scales and the fruit is coated in a perigynium which is fleshy, bumpy, and light in color.