Hairy Sedge
Scientific name: Carex hirta L.
Family: Cyperaceae
MORPHOLOGY
Habit and size: Perennial herbaceous plant, 10-50 cm tall, with elongated generally underground stolons.
Stem: Triangular stem, smooth, pubescent, robust, wrapped at the base by reddish-brown more or less entire scale-like sheaths, pubescent.
Leaves: Flat leaves, (2) 3-5 (7) mm wide, ± larger than the stem, rough at the margins towards the apex, with long woolly hairs on both sides; the hairiness is variable and sometimes may even be completely absent.
Flowers: Green inflorescence, (8) 15-28 cm long, composed of (1) 2-3 (4) upper male spikes and (1) 2-3 lower female spikes. Male spikes linear-lanceolate, (1) 2-3 cm long, yellowish or pale brown; glumes oval, 4-5 mm long, dark brown or reddish-brown, with scarious margin and mucronate apex.
Female spikes axillary, (1) 1.5-3 (5) cm long, erect, distant, from cylindrical to oblong, subsessile, the lower one pedunculate; glumes lanceolate or narrowly oval, 6-8 mm long, with a long awn that sometimes exceeds the utricles, greenish or light brown in color. Blooms between March and June.
Fruits and seeds: The fruits are oval-shaped pseudanthia (utricle), 5.5-6.6 (8) x 1.5-2 mm, suberect, trigonous, densely pubescent, greenish or brownish, with prominent veins, gradually tapered into a 2-2.5 mm, bifid, rough beak. Achenes 2.5-3 x 1-1.5 mm, oval, trigonous, brown.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
Present throughout Italy except for the major islands, in moist meadows, uncultivated land, ditch banks, between 0 and 1,600 m.
Photo: under free license from Saxifraga and Peter Meininger, Jasenka Topic
