Lurid Sedge

My plant the Lurid Sedge has needle leaves and it is perennial. Why it is perennial because it has seeds growing inside my plant. The color of my plant is greenish in the spring, summer. In the winter and fall it is brownish and it has needle shaped leaves.

Project Information
City or Town: 
Waterboro Me
School or Organization: 
Massabesic middle schoool
Habitat: 
Freshwater - On a wetland
Resources I used to create this project: 
I used the internet for the most part and also an identification key for plants in a wetland habitat.
How should others reference your work?: 
6PM15, Lurid Sedge, Vital Signs Program, 2/9/11

Comments

Our class went outside yesterday and revisited our plants. There was a lot of changes in our quadrat, like my plant the Lurid Sedge has seem to spread and expanded growing 4 other plant populations in our quadrat. It has these long seeds that have grown on my plant. There is water in out quadrat, and it has risen to a high point in our quadrat.
Thanks,
6PM1

Just a couple of days ago, I checked my plant, the Lurid Sedge and it is doing well. It is still green and its again the only green plant in my quadrat. I just wanted to tell you how my plant is doing. see you later...

Hi 6PM15,

So you found a species that is native to Maine! Were there any invasive species found in the same area that may compete for space and resources with your new friend Carex lurida?

Be careful not to confuse how your plant reproduces (specialized seed pods) with its ability to live more than two years (perennial).

If the plant lives for one year and then dies, it is called an annual. If it lives for two years and then dies, it is called a biennial. Many annual and biennial plants reproduce with seeds just like the perennial sedge you found.

Your photos helped me understand the shape of the leaves better. When we talk about "needles" we're usually talking about evergreen trees like pine, fir, and spruce. Botanists might call the sedge leaves "blade-shaped" instead. The Vital Signs species cards have nice leaf diagrams to help with all of the leaf shape terms scientists use.

Go visit that sedge of yours again when the snow melts!