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Livid Sedge

Livid Sedge

Carex livida

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How common: Common

Livid Sedge is a small, pale grey‑green sedge of open, wet fens and boggy pool margins. It is a perennial that often grows in sparse patches. It occurs widely in cool, nutrient‑rich wetlands across northern Eurasia and North America, and also in parts of South America.

Did you know?

  • Its flowers are spread by the wind.
  • Each seed develops inside a tiny pale sac that can give the heads a bluish tint.

About the species

Identification

A low, grass‑like plant, usually 10–30 cm tall. Stems are upright with three sharp edges. Leaves stand upright, about as long as the stems, narrow (2–4 mm), slightly grooved, and pale grey‑green. The flower heads are few and close together: one slender male head at the top, with two to three shorter, looser female heads just below. The small seed cases are slender and pale bluish‑green to yellowish, making the heads look pale. The overall pale colour and the few, upright heads help tell it from similar sedges. Kukkii Suomessa keskikesällä, pääasiassa kesä–heinäkuussa (VI–VII).

Plant group

Grasses, sedges and rushes

Habitat

mire

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Open, very wet, often lime‑rich fens and quaking bogs, including the edges of small bog pools. Melko yleinen sopivilla kasvupaikoilla koko maassa, harvinaistunut Etelä-Suomessa.

Sources

Photo: Principe Mendoza Babilon, CC0 1.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6235278249

Text: Pinkka: Kasvitieteen retkeily Ahvenanmaalle - Nåtön luontopolku, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40354

Text: Pinkka (Luomus), CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40354

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Carex, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40354

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaaleasara

See also