Sedges - Biology Of Sedges, Sedges In Ecosystems, Economically Important Sedges
species family spp food
Sedges are monocotyledonous plants in the genus Carex that make up most of the species in the family Cyperaceae. This family consists of about 4,000 species distributed among about 90 genera, occurring world-wide in moist habitats in all of the major climatic zones. The sedges are the largest group in the family with about 1,100 species, followed by the papyrus or nut-sedges (Cyperus spp.; 600 species), bulrushes (Scirpus spp.; 250 species), and beak-rushes (Rhynchospora spp.; 250 species).
The major importance of sedges and other members of this family is their prominent role in many types of ecological communities and the fact that they are an important source of food for many species of grazing animals. A few species are also of minor economic importance as food for humans.
Additional Topics
Sedges are superficially grass-like in their morphology, but they differ from the grasses (family Poaceae) in some important respects. Most species of sedges are perennial plants, with only a few having an annual life cycle. Sedges are herbaceous, dying back to the ground surface at the end of the growing season but then re-growing the next season by sprouting from underground rhizomes or roots. O…
Sedges are an important component of the plant communities of many types of natural habitats, particularly in marshes, swamps, and the shallow-water habitats along the edges of streams, ponds, and lakes. Because sedges are a relatively nutritious food for grazing animals, places rich in these plants are an important type of habitat for many types of herbivorous animals. These can range from the mu…
No species of true sedges (that is, species of Carex) are of current direct economic importance to humans. However, a few species in other genera of the sedge family are worth mentioning in this respect. The papyrus or paper rush (Cyperus papyrus) grows abundantly in marshes in parts of northern Africa and elsewhere, where it has been used for millennia to make paper, to construct reed-boats, to m…
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