Description
Big-leaf Sedge is a perennial grass-like plant with a single or several sharply triangular stems, 5-10 dm tall, which arise together from creeping rhizomes. The flat leaves, 8-20 mm wide and up to 5 dm long, are distributed evenly along the stem. Foliage is glabrous. Flowers are clustered in cylindical spikes, 4-10 cm long, and arise from the axils of the smaller upper leaves (bracts). A single spike of male flowers occurs at the tip with several female spikes on short stalks below. The glabrous perigynia (female flowers), 2.5-3.5 mm long, are egg-shaped with a short beak. The lance-shaped scales are slightly shorter than the perigynia which they subtend and have a dark papery margin and a green or pale midvein, often with a pointed tip. There are 3 stigmas and the seed (achene) is 3-sided.
Diagnostic Characteristics
The leaves of this species are much broader than either C. LASIOCARPA or C. LANUGINOSA. C. AMPLIFOLIA could be confused with C. UTRICULATA, but the perigynia of this species are 4-7 mm long. A hand lens and technical manual should be used for positive identification.