Carex buxbaumii

Wahlenb.

CyperaceaeRootsSeeds/Nuts
Carex buxbaumii
iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Trevor Edmonson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Edmonson
Carex buxbaumii
iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Nathan Aaron, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Carex buxbaumii
iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Nathan Aaron, some rights reserved (CC BY)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Root, Seeds

The root can be eaten cooked, and the seed is also edible, though it is small and fiddly to work with.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. Tasmanian Herbarium.

Australia, Britain, Europe, Tasmania,

Countries: Andorra, Albania, Austria, Australia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Ukraine

How to Identify

A perennial sedge reaching 0.6 m (2 ft) tall. Monoecious with wind-pollinated flowers appearing June to July, seeds maturing July to August. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils across mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH ranges. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, preferring consistently moist or wet conditions.

How to Grow

Easily grown in a damp to wet soil in full sun or shade. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Propagation: Sow seed in situ in spring in moist soil in light shade. If seed is scarce, sow in a cold frame and plant out in summer. Seed typically germinates in 2–6 weeks at 15°C. Divide in spring — larger clumps can go directly into permanent positions, but smaller clumps are best potted up and grown on in a cold frame until rooting well, then planted out in summer or the following spring.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Other Uses

The leaves are used for bedding.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Carex buxbaumii is a species of sedge known as Buxbaum's sedge or club sedge. It is native to much of the northern Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska to Greenland to Eurasia, and including most of Canada and the United States. It grows in wet habitat, such as marshes and fens. This sedge grows in clumps from long rhizomes. The stems are 75–100 cm (30–39 in) in maximum height. The leaves are narrow and small. The inflorescence has a bract which is sometimes longer than the spikes. The fruits have dark-colored bracts and a sac called a perigynium or utricle which is gray-green and rough in texture.

Notes

There are about 2000 Carex species. There are 200 species in tropical America.

References (3)
  • Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. 24:163. 1803
  • Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
  • Tasmanian Herbarium Vascular Plants list p 61

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