Star Sedge is a perennial herb, up to 70 cm, with
stems erect, slender, leafy-based, trigonous, several-ribbed. Leaves
are spreading to erect, overtopped by stem; blades narrowly linear,
proximally flattened, 0.5-3 mm wide, tip tapering, trigonous. Flowers
are borne at branch-ends, solitary, headlike, dense, white,
leafy-involucrate. What look like petals are actually involucral bracts
which are several, flaring to recurved, white from broadened base
nearly to median, then green to tapered tip, longer bracts 13 cm x 27
mm. Spikelets are white, ovoid, 5-7 mm, tip pointed; fertile scales
many, boat shaped, sharply curved keeled, 3-4 mm, tip pointed or blunt.
Flowers have no petals. Star Sedge is native to Southern USA, Central
America, Northern South America. It is cultivated elsewhere as a garden
plant.
Identification credit: Prashant Awale
Photographed in cultivation in Mumbai.
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The flower labeled Star Sedge is ...