''Carex utriculata'' is a species of

sedge 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'' wit ...

known as Northwest Territory sedge and common yellow lake sedge.

Distribution

This sedge is native to the northern half of North America, including most all of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and the northern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and down to montane

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It is also found in northern Europe and northern Asia. It is a common plant in many types of

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

habitat.

Description

''Carex utriculata'' produces stems exceeding in maximum height from a thick network of long

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a cylindrical mass of flowers up to about long with an accompanying leaf-like bract which is generally longer than the flower spike. Each inflorescence bears up to 200 developing fruits, each enclosed in a shiny green, golden, or brown perigynium. Carex utriculata lake-margin sedge close Heart Lake.jpg, Early-season, male above female spikes Carex utriculata Lake-margin sedge Hamilton Lake.jpg, At Hamilton Lake edge, Sierra Nevada

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Carex utriculata''''Carex utriculata'' - Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2078054 utriculata Flora of Canada Flora of the United States Flora of Europe Flora of Asia Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Plants described in 1839 Flora without expected TNC conservation status