Carex tenax Chapm. ex Dewey

Wire Sedge; Hold Fast Sedge

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Wire Sedge is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sedge family (Cyperaceae). It is native to the southern half of Alabama. Wire Sedge occurs in sandhills, in xeric scrub oak woods, in dry sandy longleaf pine forests, and in open, dry, disturbed sandy sites. It is a cespitose perennial with short culms and a stout rhizome. Leaves are basal and cauline. Leaves are linear, entire, often revolute, and pubescent. Blades are v-shaped when young. Flower are produced in terminal racemes of spikelets. The terminal spikelet is staminate with 3-veined scales with a green midrib. Pistillate spikelets are 1-3 with 3-5 veined scales. The perigynia is subsessile, ovoid to obovoid, 20-30 veined, and pubescent. The fruit is a trigonous achene that almost fills the perigynia.—A. Diamond

**

Native FACW (NWPL)

**