Carex rosea Schkuhr ex Willd.

Rosy sedge

Similar species

	You are here Carex rosea	Carex appalachica
Common Name	rosy sedge	Appalachian sedge
Plant	Dense clumps are up to 3′ (90 cm) tall.	Loose tufts up to 2′ (60 cm) tall.
Leaves	Smooth, hairless, up to 1′ ⨉ ~1/16″ (40 cm ⨉ 1.8–2.6 mm), with sheaths that tightly wrap around the stem. Young leaves have V-shaped cross sections.	Leaves are so thin that they resemble threads or needles, at a width of ~1/32″ (0.9–1.5 mm).
Flowers	Inflorescences are ¾–2½ ⨉ ⅛–¼″ (2–7 cm ⨉ 5–8 mm), with four to eight spikes per stem. The spikes become more crowded toward the tip of the culm. The terminal spike has staminate (male) flowers at its tip, and pistillate (female) flowers at its base, making them androgynous. Lower spikes may be androgenous or entirely pistillate. There is a bristly bract at the base of each spike. There are 7-14 perigynia per spike, each narrowly oval in shape, and 1/16–⅛ ⨉ 1/32–1/16″ (2.6–4 ⨉ 1.1–1.8 mm) in size.	Inflorescences are ¾–3″ (2–8 cm) long. Each stem has three to six relatively uncrowded spikes, with 2-10 perigynia per spike.
Fruit	Achenes are ~1/16″ (1.6–2.2 mm) long.	The spikes produce achenes 1/32–1/16 ⨉ ~1/32″ (1.4–2 ⨉ 0.8–1.3 mm) in size.
Range/ Zones
Habitats	Stream shores, bottomlands, ponds.	Mesic to dry, mixed to deciduous forests.

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

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