. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. BLUE SEDGE Carex complanata Torr. & Hook. Blue sedge plants are stiffly erect and 3 feet tall or less. They form many-stemmed clumps from knotty rootstocks. They grow mostly on upland sites in association with bluestem and panicum grasses. Flowers are unisexual, with male flowers found only basally on the uppermost spike of two to five spikes making up the inflorescence. Female flowers are on the upper part of this uppermost spike and on the other spikes. Spikes are densely flowered, Vi to 1 inch long,
. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. BLUE SEDGE Carex complanata Torr. & Hook. Blue sedge plants are stiffly erect and 3 feet tall or less. They form many-stemmed clumps from knotty rootstocks. They grow mostly on upland sites in association with bluestem and panicum grasses. Flowers are unisexual, with male flowers found only basally on the uppermost spike of two to five spikes making up the inflorescence. Female flowers are on the upper part of this uppermost spike and on the other spikes. Spikes are densely flowered, Vi to 1 inch long, and about % inch wide. Bracts subtending each flower give the spikes a bristly appearance. The sac (perigynium) enclosing indi- vidual female flowers is flattened, with obtuse or rounded tips. Leaves are stiff and erect, with blades about 1/16 inch wide. Although a few hairs are scattered on the leaf sheaths, plants generally appear smooth and hairless. Basal sheaths are purplish or reddish brown. Leaves seldom exceed the inflorescence, but one or two leaflike bracts may surpass the upper spike. Although plants are often numerous, they pro- duce little herbage. Hence, blue sedge seldom makes a major contribution to the cattle diet. Range: Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri to Georgia and Pennsylvania. Perennial. Stems 30-120 cm. tall, stiff, erect, usually in small dense clumps from short, knotty rhizomes; leaves stiffly ascending; blades 2-4 mm. wide, elongate; basal sheaths purplish to brownish red, older sheaths becoming fibrous at base of stem; inflorescence of two to five spikes, the terminal spike staminate at base, pistillate above; other spikes pistillate; spikes 8-15 mm. long, 5-7 mm. thick, the terminal spike usually longest; flowers subtended by lanceo- late, scarious-margined bracts; staminate flowers with three stamens; pistillate flowers with an ovary enclosed in a beakless, flattened, ovoid perigynium about 2 mm. long; fruit an achene mm. long, triangular in dor
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, booksubjectforageplants, booksubjectgrasses
