Swamp Sedge, Lesser pond sedge
Carex acutiformis
Family: Cyperaceae
What it is like
Carex acutiformis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is in flower from June to August. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 0.8
Where it is found
Open swamps, wet, open thickets, marsh edges, sedge meadows and lakeshores from sea level to 300 metres. Saline marshes in E. Massachusetts.
Europe, Asia and N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Root - cooked. Seed. No further details are given, but the seed is small and fiddly to use.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
Bedding: Used as a lining for sleeping on or putting fruits etc on.
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country and also in saline soils. There is some doubt about the validity of this name. The original report on the plants uses is for a species called C. acutifolia. Ehrh. which is said to be native to Europe but is not in 'Flora Europaea'. We feel that this name is probably a misprint for C. acutiformis. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a damp to wet soil in full sun or shade. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagating it: Seed - sow in situ in the spring in a moist soil in light shade. If seed is in short supply it can be sown in a cold frame and be planted out in the summer. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 15°c. Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring.
Best place to grow: Bog Garden;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet