Carex stricta

Carex stricta
Conservation status
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Cyperaceae
Genus:	Carex
Species:	C. stricta
Binomial name
Carex stricta Lam.
Synonyms
Carex elata Gooden. Carex strictior Dewey

Carex stricta is a species of sedge known by the common names upright sedge and tussock sedge. It is grass-like and can be difficult to distinguish from other plants, because of its long, triangular, green stems. The plant grows in moist marshes, forests and alongside bodies of water. It grows up to 2 feet (0.61 m) tall and 2 feet (0.61 m) wide. When the leaves die, they build on top of or around the living plant, making a "tussock". It is one of the most common wetland sedges in eastern North America.

Just like with Taraxacum plants, their seeds are carried by the wind. When seeds land, they are eaten by birds such as dark-eyed junco, northern cardinal, wild turkey, and ducks such as mallard and wood duck. The seeds are also eaten by squirrels and other mammals. The plant can also reproduce vegetatively via rhizomes, and often form colonies.