Section Carex
Hairy Sedge, Hammer Sedge (Carex hirta)
Habitat:
Characteristics:
Global Rank/State Rank: N/A
Hairy-fruited Sedge (Carex trichocarpa)
Habitat: Calcareous fens, swamps, and wet meadows. An atypical occurrence in Fairfax County was documented in a tidal swamp.
Characteristics: Rhizomatous; upper leaf sheaths red-purple at the apex, this color tapering below; perigynia 5-10 x 2-3.9 mm, sparsely to densely pubescent.
Global Rank/State Rank: G4/S4
Comments: This species can form large, clonal stands and may produce few or no reproductive culms in some years. This species produces leaf sheaths with a distinctive red-purple streak that is broadest at the apex and tapers downward.
The unexpected record for Fairfax County comes from a tidal forested swamp at Fort Belvoir in 1995.