About Carex retrorsa Schwein.
Carex retrorsa Schwein. is a clump-forming, rhizomatous sedge species. Its leaves are bright green and smooth. Basal sheaths are typically brown to purple in color, and often split into a ladder-like shape. The inflorescence is made up of multiple spikes, and the terminal spike consists entirely of staminate tissue. Bracts on the plant are shorter than the lowest pistillate spike. Perigynia are hairless, beaked, and toothed, while achenes are triangular in cross-section. Fruit development occurs from late spring to summer. Pistillate spikes produce clustered seeds, and each individual pistillate spike contains between 20 and 150 achenes. This species grows in stream and lake shores, marshes, swamps, water meadows, and alongside waterways. It prefers wet growing areas and is tolerant of some shade. It can be obtained from specialty nurseries, and is used for ecological restoration projects, erosion control, and rain gardens.
