Knowra Cyperaceae Cyperaceae Cyperaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly called sedges. Its members often have grasslike leaves, solid stems with triangular cross-sections, and flowers grouped into spikelets.
Spikelet : A compact unit of grass or sedge flowers arranged along a central axis. Sedge flowers are commonly organized into spikelets, whose form helps identify genera.
Poaceae : The grass family, a large family of flowering plants with jointed stems and distinctive spikelets. Sedges are frequently mistaken for grasses, but their stems and floral structures differ.
Papyrus : A tall wetland sedge, Cyperus papyrus, historically used to make a writing material. Papyrus is one of the family's best-known plants and a major historical resource.
Papyrus (plant) : Cyperus papyrus, a large African sedge with tall triangular stems and umbrella-like flowering clusters. Its stature and historical use make it a particularly recognizable sedge.
Peat : Partly decomposed plant material accumulated in waterlogged soils. Sedge-dominated wetlands can contribute plant matter to peat accumulation and carbon storage.
Perianth : The floral envelope formed by the calyx and corolla, or by undifferentiated tepals. Many sedges have reduced or absent perianth parts, unlike showier flowers.
Juncaceae : The rush family, flowering plants often found in wet habitats and bearing grasslike leaves and stems. Rushes resemble sedges, yet their stems are commonly round and their flowers differ.
Peatland : A wetland ecosystem where waterlogged conditions slow decomposition and allow peat to accumulate. Sedge species are common peatland plants and contribute to peat-forming vegetation.
Yellow nutsedge : Cyperus esculentus, a sedge that produces edible underground tubers and can become an agricultural weed. It demonstrates the family's underground storage structures and importance in agriculture.
Wetland : An ecosystem where water saturates or covers the soil for at least part of the year. Many sedges are defining plants of wetlands, where they influence habitat structure.
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