Summary ²

Carex muskingumensis is a species of sedge known by the common name Muskingum sedge. It is native primarily to the Midwestern United States where it is found in wet areas such as swamps, low woods, and sedge meadows. It is a fairly conservative species, usually being found in areas where native vegetation is intact.

Description ³

Family:
Cyperaceae (Sedge)

Height:
12 to 40 inches

Leaves:
Leaves are alternate, spiraling the stem with 3 leaves in a cycle, appearing as 3 columns when viewed from the top. Leaves are hairless, flat, and up to 10 inches long

Fruit:
Fruit develops starting in early summer with spikes forming clusters of seeds, each wrapped in a casing

Fruiting season:
July - September

Habitat:
part shade, shade; wet; floodplain forest, vernal pools

Wildlife Benefits:
Palm sedge provides valuable wetland habitat to wildlife

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/muskingum-sedge

Range ³

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Lee Elliott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Lee Elliott
2. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carex_muskingumensis
3. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNaturalistAU taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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