Carex comosa Boott

Bristly sedge, longhair sedge

Bristly sedge is native to eastern and western North America.

Desperately Seeking Carex With close to 800 species in North America, and 2000 worldwide, many Carex species are difficult to identify. You might want to consult this quick guide to Carex anatomy.

Plants: These perennials form large tufts 2–3½′ (60–106 cm) tall. Culms are light green and three-angled.

Leaves: Alternate, and appearing along the length of the culm (vs. mostly basal in many Carex species). Leaves are 8–18″ long ⨉ ⅛–⅝″ wide (20–45 cm ⨉ 6–17 mm). Each blade typically has a central furrow.

Flowers: Inflorescence is 1½–14″ (4–35 cm) long. The uppermost spike is (usually) staminate (male), narrower and disheveled in appearance, up to 3″ (7.5 cm) long, brown, with a bract like a leaf blade that extends far beyond the spike. This spike has carpellate scales 1/16–⅜ ⨉ ~1/32″ (2.8–12 ⨉ 0.4–1 mm), with long awns. Lower spikes—three to six per stem—are pistillate (female). They are neat stiff cylinders resembling bottle brushes, ⅞–3 ⨉ ⅜–⅝″ (2.5–7.5 ⨉ 1.2–1.8 cm) in size. They are comprised of perigynia 3/16–5/16 ⨉ 1/32–1/16″ (6.2–8.7 ⨉ 1.1–1.8 mm) in size, tapering to a long beak with two sharp, stiff, spreading teeth. Flowers appear from late spring to early summer.

Fruits: Achenes are 1/32–1/16″ (1.5–2 mm) in size.

Habitats: Wet, mucky, or slightly sandy soil, in full sun to light shade.

Similar species.

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Carex comosa description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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