Carex stricta

Carex stricta
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Cyperaceae
Genus:	Carex
Species:	C. stricta
Binomial name
Carex stricta Lam.
Synonyms
Carex elata Gooden. Carex strictior Dewey

Carex stricta is a species of sedge known by the common names upright sedge^[1] and tussock sedge.^[2] It is grass-like and can be difficult to distinguish from other plants, because of its long, triangular, green stems. The plant grows in moist marshes, forests and alongside bodies of water.^[3] It grows up to 2 feet (0.61 m) tall and 2 feet (0.61 m) wide. When the leaves die, they build on top of or around the living plant, making a "tussock".^[3] It is one of the most common wetland sedges in eastern North America.^[4]

Just like with Taraxacum plants, their seeds are carried by the wind. When seeds land, they are eaten by birds such as dark-eyed junco, northern cardinal, wild turkey, and ducks such as mallard and wood duck. The seeds are also eaten by squirrels and other mammals.^[3] The plant can also reproduce vegetatively via rhizomes, and often form colonies.^[3]

References