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Stiff Sedge

Carex bigelowii

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
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Contents

Plant Profile

Flowering Months:
JAN  FEB  MAR  APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG  SEP  OCT  NOV  DEC
Order:
Poales
Family:
Cyperaceae (Sedge)
Also in this family:
American Galingale, Birdsfoot Sedge, Black Alpine Sedge, Black Bog-rush, Bladder Sedge, Bog Sedge, Bottle Sedge, Bristle Club-rush, Bristle Sedge, Broad-leaved Cotton-grass, Brown Beak-sedge, Brown Bog-rush, Chestnut Rush, Close-headed Alpine Sedge, Club Sedge, Common Club-rush, Common Cotton-grass, Common Sedge, Common Spike-rush, Curved Sedge, Deergrass, Dioecious Sedge, Distant Sedge, Divided Sedge, Dotted Sedge, Downy-fruited Sedge, Dwarf Sedge, Dwarf Spike-rush, Estuarine Sedge, False Fox Sedge, False Sedge, Few-flowered Sedge, Few-flowered Spike-rush, Fibrous Tussock Sedge, Fingered Sedge, Flat Sedge, Flea Sedge, Floating Club-rush, Gingerbread Sedge, Glaucous Sedge, Great Fen Sedge, Greater Pond Sedge, Greater Tussock Sedge, Green-ribbed Sedge, Grey Club-rush, Grey Sedge, Hair Sedge, Hairy Sedge, Haresfoot Sedge, Hare's-tail Cotton-grass, Heath Sedge, Hop Sedge, Large Yellow Sedge, Lesser Pond Sedge, Lesser Tussock Sedge, Long-bracted Sedge, Many-stalked Spike-rush, Mountain Bog Sedge, Needle Spike-rush, Northern Deergrass, Northern Spike-rush, Oval Sedge, Pale Sedge, Pendulous Sedge, Perennial Sedge, Pill Sedge, Prickly Sedge, Remote Sedge, Rock Sedge, Round-headed Club-rush, Russet Sedge, Salt Sedge, Sand Sedge, Scorched Alpine Sedge, Sea Club-rush, Sheathed Sedge, Slender Club-rush, Slender Cotton-grass, Slender Sedge, Slender Spike-rush, Slender Tufted Sedge, Smooth-stalked Sedge, Soft-leaved Sedge, Spiked Sedge, Spring Sedge, Star Sedge, Starved Wood Sedge, String Sedge, Sweet Galingale, Tall Bog Sedge, Tawny Sedge, Thin-spiked Wood Sedge, Triangular Club-rush, True Fox Sedge, Tufted Sedge, Water Sedge, White Beak-sedge, White Sedge, Wood Club-rush, Wood Sedge, Yellow Sedge
Type:
Flower
Life Cycle:
Perennial
Maximum Size:
30 centimetres tall
Habitats:
Bogs, fens, gardens, grassland, heathland, meadows, mountains, riverbanks, riversides, swamps, waterside.

Flower:
֍
Black, no petals
 
Purplish-black flower spikes with short bracts. Very dark glumes.
Fruit:
Green beaked nutlets, often tinged purplish-black. Up to 3mm in length. Similar in appearance to Common Sedge (Carex nigra) but can be distinguished from the shape of the fruit. Stiff Sedge more resembles a diamond in shape, whereas Common Sedge is rounder.
Leaves:
Stiff, dark green leaves. Sharp 3-sided stems.
Other Names:
Bigelow's Sedge, Gwanmo Sedge.
Frequency (UK):
Occasionally seen  

Similar Species

Other Information

Summary

Carex bigelowii, also known as Bigelow's sedge, is a species of perennial herb that is native to North America. It typically grows in wet habitats such as bogs, fens, swamps, and along the edges of streams and ponds. It can grow up to 30 cm tall, and has narrow, green leaves and small, inconspicuous flowers that are arranged in spikes. The spikes are typically green to brown in color. It is often used in landscaping and gardening as an attractive and hardy plant for damp or wet areas, but also can be found in natural habitats. It's typically found in eastern North America, from Newfoundland to Minnesota and south to Georgia and Mississippi.

Blog

Stiff Sedge, scientifically known as Carex bigelowii, is a herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the sedge family, Cyperaceae. It is a circumboreal plant, which means it is found in the circumpolar regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Stiff Sedge is a highly adaptable plant and can be found in a variety of habitats, including alpine tundra, arctic tundra, and wet meadows.

Physical Characteristics

Stiff Sedge is a low-growing plant that typically reaches a height of 3-10 cm (1-4 inches). It has a dense clump-forming growth habit, and the leaves grow in a basal rosette. The leaves are stiff, narrow, and sharp-pointed, and they are usually around 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) long.

The flowering stems of Stiff Sedge are taller than the leaves and can reach up to 30 cm (12 inches) in height. The stems are triangular and stiff, with green or brown spikelets that are arranged in a tight cluster at the top of the stem.

Habitat and Distribution

Stiff Sedge is a highly adaptable plant and can be found in a variety of habitats, including alpine tundra, arctic tundra, and wet meadows. It is commonly found in areas with moist soils, such as stream banks, wet meadows, and bogs.

Stiff Sedge is a circumboreal plant and is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It is found in Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, northern Europe, and northern Asia.

Ecological Importance

Stiff Sedge plays an important role in the ecology of its habitat. The plant forms dense mats that help to stabilize the soil, preventing erosion in wetland areas. The dense growth also provides a habitat for a variety of small animals, including rodents and birds.

The seeds of Stiff Sedge are an important food source for a variety of birds and small mammals, including ptarmigan, snowshoe hares, and lemmings. The plant is also an important forage plant for caribou and muskoxen in the Arctic.

Traditional Uses

Stiff Sedge has a long history of use by indigenous peoples in the Arctic. The plant has been used as a traditional medicine for a variety of ailments, including stomach problems, headaches, and sore throats.

The roots of the plant have been used to make cordage and baskets, while the leaves have been used to make mats and other woven items. The plant has also been used as a source of fuel, as the dried leaves and stems burn easily and produce a hot flame.

Stiff Sedge, Carex bigelowii, is a highly adaptable plant that plays an important role in the ecology of its habitat. It is found throughout the circumpolar regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is an important food source for a variety of birds and small mammals. The plant has a long history of use by indigenous peoples in the Arctic, who have used it for a variety of purposes, including traditional medicine, cordage, and fuel.

More Information

Stiff Sedge is an important plant in the Arctic ecosystem, as it provides food, shelter, and stability to the delicate ecosystem. It is also an indicator species for wetland areas, which are important ecosystems that provide a variety of ecosystem services, including water purification, flood control, and habitat for a variety of plant and animal species.

Despite its importance, Stiff Sedge is facing threats from climate change and human activities. Climate change is causing changes in the timing and duration of the growing season, which can affect the plant's growth and reproductive success. Human activities, such as habitat destruction and pollution, can also have negative impacts on Stiff Sedge and the delicate ecosystems it inhabits.

Conservation efforts are needed to protect Stiff Sedge and the ecosystems it inhabits. This can include the protection of wetland areas, the restoration of degraded ecosystems, and the implementation of sustainable land management practices.

Stiff Sedge is an important plant that plays a crucial role in the Arctic ecosystem. It has a long history of use by indigenous peoples in the Arctic, and is an indicator species for wetland areas. However, it is facing threats from climate change and human activities, and conservation efforts are needed to protect this important plant and the ecosystems it inhabits.

In addition to its ecological and cultural importance, Stiff Sedge has also been the subject of scientific research due to its unique adaptations to extreme environments. Stiff Sedge is able to survive in harsh arctic and alpine environments by utilizing a variety of strategies, such as producing antifreeze compounds to protect its tissues from freezing, and altering its growth and reproductive patterns in response to changing environmental conditions.

Stiff Sedge has also been studied for its potential medicinal properties. Extracts from the plant have been shown to have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and may have potential applications in the development of new antibiotics and antifungal agents.

The study of Stiff Sedge and other plants in extreme environments also has important implications for understanding the effects of climate change on ecosystems. As climate change continues to impact the Arctic and other polar regions, studying the adaptations of plants like Stiff Sedge can help scientists better understand how ecosystems will respond to changing environmental conditions.

In conclusion, Stiff Sedge is an important plant with ecological, cultural, and scientific significance. Its unique adaptations to extreme environments make it an important subject of research, and it plays a critical role in the delicate Arctic ecosystem. Conservation efforts are needed to protect this important plant and the ecosystems it inhabits, and continued research on Stiff Sedge and other plants in extreme environments has important implications for understanding the effects of climate change on the planet.


Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

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