Summary
Carex elongata, the elongated sedge, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cyperaceae, native to Europe, the Caucasus, western Siberia, Kazakhstan, and the Altai.[1][2] It occurs in boggy woodland and wet meadows, where it forms dense tussocks up to about 1 m tall.
| Carex elongata | |
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| In Poland | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Genus: | Carex |
| Species: | C. elongata
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| Binomial name | |
| Carex elongata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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List
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Description edit
Plants occur in dense tussocks about 1 m tall and 50 cm in diameter, owing to their short rhizomes and dense production of shoots. Each trigonous stem is up to 80 cm long and rough with upward-pointing teeth on the edges. Leaves are up to 90 cm long and 5 mm wide, tapering to a fine point. The ligule, which is important for identification, is 8 mm long and sharply pointed. The inflorescence consists of up to 18 golden-tinged spikes which are fairly tightly spaced at the top of the stem. Fruits (utricles) are 4 mm long, with dark ribs, and have 2 stigmas.[3] The diploid chromosome number (2n) = 56.[4]
Ecology edit
This is a plant of flooded woodland, in Britain it is typically found in W5 alder carr,[5] which typically occurs in river valleys and old peat bogs.[6] It is thought that the seeds germinate on dead wood, which floats on the surface of the water, and thereby avoids inundation at the vulnerable seedling stage.[7] In England, it used to grow on the rotten pilings of old canals, in similar conditions. It can also be found in W2 grey willow carr and W6 crack willow woodland.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b "Carex elongata L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ "Carex elongata elongated sedge". The Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ a b Jermy, A.C.; Simpson, D.A.; Foley, M.J.Y.; Porter, M.S (2007). Sedges of the British Isles. London: Botanical Society of the British Isles. ISBN 978-0-901158-35-2.
- ^ Stace, C.A. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles. Middlewood Green: C&M Floristics. ISBN 978-1-5272-2630-2.
- ^ British Plant Communities. "W5 Alnus glutinosa woodland".
- ^ Rodwell, J.S. (1991–2000). British Plant Communities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Lockton, A.J. "BSBI species accounts: Carex elongata". Archived from the original on 28 February 2014.