Knob sedge facts for kids

The Knob Sedge (scientific name: Carex inversa) is a special type of grass-like plant called a sedge. It belongs to the Cyperaceae family, which is a big group of plants often found in wet places. This sedge is originally from Western Australia.

About the Knob Sedge

The Knob Sedge is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It grows from underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant spread and form new shoots. The plant has a tufted habit, meaning it grows in clumps, much like a bunch of grass.

What Does it Look Like?

This sedge typically grows to be about 0.3 to 0.75 meters (about 1 to 2.5 feet) tall. It looks like a grass, but sedges have solid, triangular stems, while grasses have hollow, round stems. The Knob Sedge produces brown flowers.

Life Cycle and Flowers

The Knob Sedge is a monoecious plant. This means that both male and female flowers grow on the same plant. It blooms, or flowers, during the spring months, usually between September and October. The flowers are small and brown.

Where Does it Grow?

You can find the Knob Sedge in areas that get very wet during winter. It often grows along creeks and rivers. It prefers sandy-clay-loam soils, which are a mix of sand, clay, and loam. This plant is found across a large part of Western Australia, including regions like the Wheatbelt, Peel, South West, and Great Southern. It also grows in other parts of Australia, like South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, as well as in New Zealand's North Island and Norfolk Island.