Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca) (22/05/2022) Footpath along Adur River, heading towards Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. The grey (glaucous) foliage in evidence here. This is actually the female part of the plant - the spindly long things are the stigmas. A distinctive feature is the glumes (the dark bits which are in effect bracts) have a wide green midrib. Common Sedge has only a narrow one.
Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca) (22/05/2022) Footpath along Adur River, heading towards Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. Like all sedges, two female spikes and the male (thin dark one) at the top. Common Sedge also instead has greener foliage and the females are held more erect. See later for other differences.
Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca) (22/05/2022) Footpath along Adur River, heading towards Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. When the female spike is young, a notable feature is that the ovaries (these now turning to fruits) nearly lack a beak, unlike other similar sedges.
Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca) (22/05/2022) Footpath along Adur River, heading towards Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. The male - the long brown anthers will drop off leaving the thin white stamens behind.
Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca) (22/05/2022) Footpath along Adur River, heading towards Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. The ribbed stem.
