Cyperus polystachyos, also known as Pycreus polystachyos, and also called manyspike flatsedge in the US, or bunchy sedge, coast flatsedge, many-spiked sedge or Texas sedge in Australia, is a herbaceous species in the family Cyperaceae, widespread in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, sometimes extending its range into temperate regions.
Carex alma is a species of sedge known by the common name sturdy sedge. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in moist spots in a number of habitat types. This sedge forms a thick clump of thin stems up to 90 centimeters in length and long, thready leaves. The leaves have basal sheaths with conspicuous red coloration, often spotting. The inflorescence is a dense to open cluster of many spikelets occurring both at the ends of stems and at nodes. Each cluster is up to 15 centimeters long and 1 to 2 wide. The plant is sometimes dioecious, with an individual sedge bearing either male or female flowers. The female, pistillate flowers have white or white-edged bracts. The male, staminate flowers have visible anthers 2 millimeters long or longer. The fruit is coated in a sac called a perigynium which is gold to dark brown in color and has a characteristic bit of spongy tissue at the base.
Carex arcta is a species of sedge known by the common name northern cluster sedge. It is native to northern North America including most of Canada and northern parts of the United States. It grows in wet areas, especially in coniferous forests. This sedge produces dense clumps of erect stems up to about 80 centimetres (31 in) high. The leaves are pale green to grayish, flat, and have reddish or purple-dotted sheaths at the base, and they are sometimes longer than the stems. The inflorescence is a dense, oblong cluster of up to 15 spikes of pointed flowers, each cluster up to 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) long and each individual spike up to 1 cm (0.39 in) long. The fruit is covered in a sac called a perigynium which is greenish and veined with a reddish tip.
Carex fracta is a species of sedge known by the common name fragile sheath sedge. It is native to the western United States from Washington to California, where it grows in moist to dry areas in mountain forests and meadows. This sedge produces dense clumps of stems sometimes exceeding a meter tall. The leaves are attached to the stem with a characteristic thin, membranous sheath. The inflorescence is a dense or loose cluster of light green to gold spikes. Some spikes occur lower on the stem as well. The flowers are covered in light colored scales.
Carex hoodii is a species of sedge known by the common name Hood's sedge. It is native to western North America from Alaska to Nunavut to California to South Dakota, where it grows in dry to moist habitat in forests and on mountain slopes.
Carex mertensii is a species of sedge known by the common name Mertens' sedge. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Montana, where it grows in moist and wet habitat in mountain forests and meadows. This sedge produces clumps of stems reaching maximum heights between 80 and 120 centimeters. The leaves are small; those toward the bases of the stems are reduced to sheaths only. The inflorescence is a densely packed, bullet shaped cluster of overlapping flowers, mainly hanging on long peduncles. Each inflorescence is generally 2 to 4 centimeters long. Each of the flowers has a dark-colored bract.
Carex multicaulis is a species of sedge known by the common name manystem sedge. It is native to California, western Nevada, and southern Oregon, where it grows in chaparral and open forest montane habitats.
Carex leporina is a species of sedge known in the British Isles as oval sedge and in North America as eggbract sedge. It is native to Eurasia and eastern and western North America, where it grows in seasonally wet habitat, such as meadows and fields. This sedge produces many thin stems and narrow leaves. The inflorescence is an open cluster of several flower spikes. The pistillate flower has a reddish or brownish bract with a gold center and white tip.
Carex pachystachya is a species of sedge known by the common name Chamisso sedge.
Carex pansa is a species of sedge known by the common name sand dune sedge. It is native to coast of western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in dunes and other sandy habitat. This grasslike sedge produces sharply triangular stems up to about 40 centimeters tall from a network of thin, long, coarse rhizomes. The inflorescence is a cluster of several spikes of dark brownish flowers. The plant sometimes produces only male or female flowers in its inflorescences, but not both. This sedge is sometimes used as a grass substitute in local landscaping schemes.
Carex praegracilis is a species of North American sedge known as clustered field sedge, field sedge, and expressway sedge. Carex praegracilis is cultivated in the specialty horticulture trade as lawn substitute and meadow-like plantings.
Carex praticola is a species of sedge known by the common name meadow sedge. It is native to most of northern North America, including most of Canada and the northernmost United States. It grows in many habitat types from wet to dry, including moist mountain meadows and woodlands. This sedge produces dense clumps of stems approaching a meter in maximum height. The inflorescence is an erect or nodding cluster of several flower spikes in color light greenish or brown to white. The fruit is covered in a perigynium which is white to cream, sometimes with a coppery center, and translucent.
Carex raynoldsii is a species of sedge known by the common name Raynolds' sedge. It is native to western North America and grows in alpine to subalpine meadows.
Carex scoparia is a species of sedge known by the common names broom sedge and pointed broom sedge. It should not be confused with the unrelated grass species known as "broom sedge," Andropogon virginicus.
Carex spectabilis is a species of sedge known by the common name showy sedge.
Carex vallicola is a species of sedge known by the common name valley sedge. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico, where it grows in many types of moist and dry habitat, including forest and grassland. This sedge produces clumps of stems up to about 60 centimeters tall. The inflorescence is a crowded cluster of a few flower spikes. The fruit is enclosed in a brown perigynium.
Carex vulpinoidea is a species of sedge known as fox sedge and American fox-sedge. It is native to North America, including most of Canada, the Dominican Republic, the United States and parts of Mexico. It is known in Europe and New Zealand as an introduced species. The sedge lives in wet and seasonally wet habitat, and grows easily as a roadside weed. It produces clumps of stems up to a meter tall. The inflorescence is a dense, tangled cluster of many flower spikes up to about 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Tolerates fluctuating water levels and periods of drying.
Carex concinna is a species of sedge known by the common names low northern sedge, northern elegant sedge, beauty sedge, and beautiful sedge. It is native to northern North America, where it occurs across Canada and in high elevations in the northern contiguous United States.
Carex garberi is a species of sedge known by the common names elk sedge and Garber's sedge native to North America.
Carex eburnea, known as ivory sedge, ebony sedge, and bristleleaf or bristle-leaved sedge, is a small and slender sedge native to North America, from Alaska and Newfoundland south to central Mexico.
