What is the family Cyperaceae?
Q: What is the family Cyperaceae?
A: The family Cyperaceae is a group of flowering plants commonly known as sedges.
Q: How do sedges differ from grasses and rushes?
A: Although they may look like grasses or rushes, sedges are not the same. While grasses and sedges are both monocot plants, they belong to different families. Sedges can typically be identified by their triangular stems and spirally arranged leaves.
Q: How many species are in the family Cyperaceae?
A: There are about 5,500 species described in about 109 genera in the family Cyperaceae.
Q: What is the largest genus in the family Cyperaceae?
A: The largest genus in the family Cyperaceae is Carex, which contains over 2,000 species of "true sedges."
Q: Where are sedges commonly found?
A: Sedges are widely distributed, with many species found in tropical Asia and tropical South America. They may be found growing in almost all environments and are often associated with wetlands or poor soils.
Q: What are some cultivated species of sedges?
A: Water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) and papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus) are examples of cultivated sedges.
Q: What is a sedgeland?
A: Ecological communities dominated by sedges are known as sedgelands.
