Sedges

Herbs perennial, rarely annual. Rhizomatous; rarely stoloniferous as in Carex section Ovales. Culms trigonous; may be terete at nodes. Blades M to V to flat in cross section, rarely filiform,involute, or terete; pubescent or not. Inflorescences terminal; in racemes, spikes or panicles. Spikes consisting of unisexual flowers usually subtended by a single bract or scale. Sexuality of spikes variable. Pistillate flowers have a scale fused at edges forming the perigynium; a structure encasing the pistillate flower with an aperature for the style. Style two to three branched, rarely four; deciduous to persistent. Stamens, one to three. Achenes varied in cross section to plano-convex, biconvex to trigonous.

Carex demonstrator key - worldwide
LSU Interactive Identification Keys - North America, Central America, Europe
Ontario Grasses - Ontario, Canada
Identifying Australian Rainforest Plants,Trees and Fungi: Sedges - Australia

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Interactive Visual Identification to Carices of North America