Carex longii

Long's sedge

Native to Florida

Species Overview

This species has cone-shaped spikeswhich are typical to some species of Carex. It might first be encountered in occasionally-flooded ditches, wet clearings and marshes. It is common throughout Florida (Wunderlin, 2003). 

There are hundreds of Carex species in the U.S., with more than 70 in Florida. This species is found in much of the eastern U.S., as well as Washington state (Kartesz, 1999).

A special thanks to Paul Rothrock for use of his photograph of several perigynia from Carex longii.

View the herbarium specimen image from the University of Florida Herbarium Digital Imaging Projects.

Species Characteristics

Long’s sedge is a sedge. Its stems are tuft-forming, and 1-3 ft. tall; leaf blades are very narrow, to 1/8 in. wide; inflorescences occur at the stem tip, with linear clusters of green-to-brown “reduced flowers”; there is a smal, leaf-likebract for each spikelet; flowers are cone-shaped, to 1/2 in. long, without stalks; nutlet is 2-sided.

Impacts