''Carex alata'', commonly called broad-winged sedge, is a species of
flowering plant in the
sedge family
The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus '' Carex'' wi ...
. It is native to eastern North America, in Canada and the United States. It grows in wet,
marshy areas. The species name is Latin for "winged", in reference to its winged
perigynia
In botany, a perigynium (plural: perigynia), also referred to as a utricle, typically refers to a sac that surrounds the achene of plants in the genus ''Carex'' (Cyperaceae). The perigynium is a modified prophyll, tissue of leaf origin, that enclos ...
.
Description
''Carex alata'' is a
perennial that flowers in spring, fruiting in late spring and summer. It may go dormant in hot summer weather if soils are not kept consistently moist.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2938197
alata
Taxa named by John Torrey
Flora of North America