Carex stylosa long styled sedge Status: State Sensitive

• Main Author: Rank Gss
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Photo by Clay Antieau; The Spike; Carex stylosa
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.214.5132; http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/fguide/pdf/carsty.pdf

General Description: This is a densely matted sedge with a stout rhizomatous root system, reaching heights of 10 to 25 in. ( to m). The culm is fibrous close to its base and is purple-red in color. It has 5 to 10 coarse, almost flat leaves per culm, which are crowded at the base. The leaves are generally shorter than the culms and are approximately 1/16 in. (2 mm) wide. The leaf margins are rolled downward, curling under. There are 2 to 4 almost sheathless spikes, about 1/8 to in. ( to 1 cm) long. Flower spikes are hanging to erect on a stiff individual stem that can be up to in. (2 cm) long. The higher the spike on the inflorescence the more erect it will be. The top spike usually lacks pistils but sometimes may have stamens on the upper portion and pistils on the lower portion of the spike. A bract can be found immediately under the lowest occurring flower. The lowest bracts are shorter than or equal to the inflorescence in length. The perigynia of C. stylosa are 1/8 x 1/16 in. (2 to 3 x 1 to 1 3/4 mm). The perigynia are yellow-green, with a short beak and often having a few serrations near the tip along the edge. The three styles conspicuously protrude in early maturity and eventually fall off.