Photo ©2007 Fabelfroh
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Photo ©2007 Stemonitis
Spiked Sedge - Carex spicata
Family - Cyperaceae
Also known as - Prickly Sedge
Spiked Sedge is a native common perennial in Europe and the UK in England and Wales but much less so in Scotland, growing in grass fields, roadsides, railway embankments and waste ground. It is widely naturalised outside of its native range in temperate regions of the world. Botanical description for Spicata.
It grows to 50–100cm (19–39in) high in dense clumps, flowering from July to August. The very thin leaves are 7–45cm (3–18in) long and only 2–4mm (0.08–0.16in) wide with a keel are on a triangular culm of 10–85cm (4–33in) long. The ligules are a purple colour, a characteristic of the species. Flowers mature to a spiky inflorescence 4–8cm (1.6–3.2in) long, formed of 3–8 spikelets each 5–10mm (0.20–0.39in) long, female at the bottom and male at the top.
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