What sedges do
Introduction
The photograph on this page of What sedges do by Robin Stott as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
What sedges do
Image: © Robin Stott Taken: 14 Apr 2025
Although this is a cultivated sedge (probably Carex elata 'Aurea') it offers a graphic illustration of sexual reproduction in this huge and widespread genus. The brown bits at the top of the flowering spikes are the remains of the male flowers after they have shed their pollen. Below them on the single spikes are the female flowers whose whitish stigmas will receive pollen and very soon start to form fruits – seeds between scales called glumes. The young leaves have still to extend, becoming a bright yellow that fades to green during the summer as the seeds turn black.
Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Image Location
Latitude
52.284602
Longitude
-1.568533