Sturdy sedge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sturdy sedge |
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C. alma
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| Carex alma L.H.Bailey
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Carex agrostoides |
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Carex alma is a type of plant called a sedge. Its common name is sturdy sedge. Sedges are plants that look a lot like grasses. However, sedges usually have solid stems, while grasses have hollow ones. This plant grows naturally in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It likes to grow in damp or wet areas. You can find it in many different types of habitats.
About Sturdy Sedge
What Sturdy Sedge Looks Like
Sturdy sedge grows in a thick clump. It has thin stems that can reach up to 90 centimeters (about 3 feet) long. The plant also has long, thin leaves. The bottom part of the leaves, called the basal sheaths, often has noticeable red colors or spots.
The plant's flowers grow in dense or open clusters. These clusters are called inflorescences. They can be up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) long and 1 to 2 centimeters wide. The clusters are made up of many smaller groups of flowers called spikelets. These spikelets grow both at the ends of the stems and along the stem at different points.
How Sturdy Sedge Reproduces
Sometimes, a sturdy sedge plant can be dioecious. This means that an individual plant will have either only male flowers or only female flowers. It will not have both.
The female flowers, also known as pistillate flowers, have white or white-edged leaf-like parts called bracts. The male flowers, known as staminate flowers, have parts called anthers that are 2 millimeters or longer. These anthers are usually easy to see.
After the flowers are pollinated, the plant produces fruit. Each fruit is covered in a sac called a perigynium. This sac can be gold to dark brown in color. It has a special spongy part at its base.
See also
In Spanish: Carex alma para niños
