''Carex muehlenbergii'' is a species of flowering plant, it is a type of

sedge The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

. It is a grass-like plant in the family Cyperaceae. Its common names include sand sedge, Muhlenberg's sedge.

Description

''Carex muehlenbergii'' is a perennial monocot growing 20–90 cm tall. Plants form tufts of foliage arising from a short, dark, woody rhizome.Robert H. Mohlenbrock.
Sedges: Carex
'. SIU Press; 21 April 2011. . p. 339–. The

Inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s have 3–10 flower spikes, is green or yellow or brown in color.

Distribution and habitat

''Carex muehlenbergii'' lives in dry sandy fields, on dunes, banks, and at the edges of oak and aspen forests.
Field Manual of Michigan Flora
'. University of Michigan Press; 8 February 2012. . p. 121–. It is also found in dry woods and on sand prairies.Robert H. Mohlenbrock.
Vascular Flora of Illinois: A Field Guide, Fourth Edition
'. Southern Illinois University Press; 6 December 2013. . p. 400–. It is listed as a

threatened species A threatened species is any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which is vulnerable to extinction in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensatio ...

in the US states of

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

and

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. There are two varieties in North America: * ''Carex muehlenbergii'' var. ''enervis'' Boott **Which is different than the other variety by having smaller carpellate scales and smaller

perigynia In botany, a perigynium (plural: perigynia), also referred to as a utricle, typically refers to a sac that surrounds the achene of plants in the genus ''Carex'' (Cyperaceae). The perigynium is a modified prophyll, also known as a glume, which is t ...

, it also lacks veins on the adaxial side of the perigynium.Arthur Haines.
New England Wild Flower Society's Flora Novae Angliae: A Manual for the Identification of Native and Naturalized Higher Vascular Plants of New England
'. Yale University Press; 8 November 2011. . p. 142–. * ''Carex muehlenbergii'' var. ''muehlenbergii''

References

muehlenbergii {{Carex-stub