Carex spicata explained

Carex spicata is a species of sedge in the genus Carex.

Description

The culms of Carex spicata are 10cm-85cmcm (00inches-33inchescm) long and approximately triangular in section. The leaves are 7- long and 2mm4mm wide, with a distinct keel. The ligule, at the base of the leaf, is 4mm8mm long, with a large amount of loose white tissue. C. spicata differs from the other species in Carex section Phaestoglochin by the presence of a purple pigment in the roots, leaf sheaths and bracts.^[1]

The inflorescence is 4cm-8cmcm (02inches-03inchescm) long, and comprises 3–8 spikes. Each spike is 5mm10mm long, with female (pistillate) flowers at the base, and male (staminate) flowers at the tip.^[1]

Distribution and ecology

Carex spicata has a European temperate distribution, although it has been extensively naturalised outside this native range.^[2]

Carex spicata is usually found in grassland (usually in British NVC community MG10 in the British Isles), on roadsides, and in waste ground.^[1] It is found on heavy, slightly base-rich soils, and cannot tolerate much competition.^[2]

Taxonomy

Carex spicata was first described by the English botanist William Hudson in his 1762 work Flora Anglica.^[3]

It is known in the British Isles as "spiked sedge",^{[1] [4]} in North America as "spicate sedge"^[5] or "prickly sedge".^[6] In Irish it is called Irish: cíb spícíneach,^[7] and in Welsh, its name is Welsh: hesgen dywysennog borffor,^[8] Welsh: hesgen dywysennog^[9] or Welsh: hesgen ysbigog borffor.^[10]

Few hybrids have been reported between C. spicata and other members of Carex sect. Phaestoglochin, but hybrids have been reported between C. spicata and C. otrubae, and between C. spicata and C. echinata.^[1]

External links

• Carex spicata Hudson, Fl. Angl. 349. 1762., Flora of North America
• Carex spicata Huds., University of Michigan Herbarium
• Carex spicata, "The Plants of Pennsylvania"
• Carex spicata, "The History of the British Flora"

Notes and References

1. Book: A. C. Jermy . D. A. Simpson . M. J. Y. Foley . M. S. Porter . 2007 . Sedges of the British Isles . 3rd . BSBI Handbook No. 1 . 978-0-901158-35-2 . . Carex muricata group (section Phaestoglochin Dumort.) . 220–242.
2. Web site: Carex spicata (Spiked Sedge) . Online Atlas of the British & Irish Flora . . July 7, 2011.
3. Book: William Hudson . William Hudson (botanist) . 1762 . Flora Anglica . Latin . Carex . 346–354 . Londini, impensis auctoris . https://archive.org/stream/gulielmihudsoni01hudsgoog#page/n370/mode/2up.
4. Book: Clive A. Stace . Clive A. Stace . 2010 . New Flora of the British Isles . limited . 3rd . Carex L. – sedges . 951–974 . . 978-0-521-70772-5.
5. Book: Robert H. Mohlenbrock . 2011 . Sedges: Carex . The Illustrated Flora of Illinois . 2nd . . 978-0-8093-3024-9 . Carex spicata . https://books.google.com/books?id=NOA4mUNE7y8C&pg=PA57 . 57–59.
6. Web site: Carex spicata Huds. prickly sedge . PLANTS Profile . July 7, 2011 . United States Department of Agriculture.
7. Web site: Carex spicata Huds. . The Irish Species Register . October 16, 2008 . Wendy Guiry . July 7, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111009013742/http://www.species.ie/search/species/detail/?species_id=6654 . October 9, 2011 . dead .
8. G. Battershall . 2000 . Welsh Plant Records 1998 . Welsh Bulletin . . 67 . 26–30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120321174111/http://www.watsonia.org.uk/WBULL67.pdf . 2012-03-21 .
9. Web site: List of plant names . . July 7, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110926224941/http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/List-of-plant-names-for-website-1.pdf . September 26, 2011 .
10. Web site: Carex spicata Huds. . February 7, 2011 . P. Jiménez-Mejías . M. Luceño . Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure . July 7, 2011.