Carex stricta Lam.

Tussock sedge, upright sedge

Similar species

	Carex nigra	You are here Carex stricta
Common Name	black sedge	tussock sedge
Plant	These sedges do not form tufts. They are 4–43″ (10–110 cm) tall.	Tussock sedge is so-called because it forms dense tussocks 5′ tall ⨉ 2′ wide (1.5 m ⨉ 60 cm). Each culm has alternate leaves along its lower third. Culms are triangular in cross-section.
Leaves	Gray-green, with yellow margins, 1/16–⅛″ (2–4.5 mm) wide.	Up to 3′ long ⨉ ⅛–3/16″ wide (91 cm ⨉ 4–6 mm), with flat or V-shaped cross sections.
Flowers	Inflorescences are usually erect. One to two staminate (male) spikes appear atop the culm. Two to three pistillate (female) spikes appear below, each ⅜–1½ ⨉ 1/16–3/16″ (1.2–4.2 cm ⨉ 3–5 mm). This have dark purple-brown or black scales that are quite variable—almost fully black, black with green edges, or green with black edges. The purplish-black flower spikes are up to 4–43″ (10–110 cm) long, and acutely angled. Flowers appear from July to August. The perigynia are pale brown, with red brown or black spots.	Inflorescences are usually erect or arched, and up to 1′ (30 cm) long. There are one to three staminate (male) spikelets, and two to four pistillate (female) spikelets; some spikelets may have staminate florets above and pistillate below. The staminate spikelets are ½–2½ ⨉ 1/16–⅛″ (1.3–6.3 cm ⨉ 3–4 mm). The pistillate spikes are cylindrical, and ⅝–4 ⨉ 1/16–3/16″ (1.6–10 cm ⨉ 3–5 mm). The carpellate scales on these spikes are smaller than the perigynia. The perigynia are 1/16–⅛″ (1.7–3.4 mm) long, somewhat flattened, and hairless. Flowers appear from mid-spring to early summer, lasting only about a week.
Fruit	Achenes.	Achenes are 1/32 ⨉ 1/32″ (1.5 ⨉ 1 mm).
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 4-8	USDA Zones: 3-8
Habitats	Wet fields and pastures, open wetlands, roadside ditches.	Wet swales, marshes, bogs, stream and pond margins.

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

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