Spreading Sedge (Carex laxiculmis)
Description
Carex laxiculmis is a petite perennial sedge that forms mounds of foot tall lush shaggy foliage. The leaves are semi-evergreen with a striking blue-green color. In late spring greenish scaly flower spikes are displayed above the foliage. This sedge occurs in moist woods or can be used as an accent or groundcover in a shade garden. HABITAT & HARDINESS: Carex laxiculmis is native to Ontario and Quebec. In the United States, range extends from Maine to Florida and west to Minnesota and Arkansas. The greatest distribution is in the Northeastern U. S. south to North Carolina and Tennessee. Plants are indigenous to rich woods, moist stream banks, and swamp margins. The literature reports that this sedge is hardy from USDA Zones 4-7 but scattered populations occur at least as far south as Zone 9. Carex laxiculmis grows in compact clumps of arching foliage. Plants gradually form small colonies from short underground rhizomes. Leaves are glaucous and bluish or occasionally medium green. Leaves are up to 12-18" long and about 1/2- wide. Blades are wider than many other sedges and are evergreen through most of the range. In spring culms bear terminal staminate (male) spikes with pistillate (female) spikes below. The flowering culms are narrow and often rather floppy. The lower pistillate spikes are attached with weak nodding stalks. Each pistillate spike contains only a few (less than 9) beaked triangular perigynia This sedge is about 1- tall with an equal or wider spread.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Poales
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Family: Cyperaceae
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Genus: Carex
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