SedgeCarex boryana
Category
- Forests
Description
Carex boryana, a sedge, also called Bory’s laurea, is a rhizomatous herb belonging to the Cyperaceae family. The herb measures up to 1.4 meters tall, has a cylindrical stem with distant narrow leaves which are arranged in tufts, arched and striated. The plant’s inflorescences are ears.
Habitat and ecology
The majority of sedges typically grow in sunny and moist to wet habitats such as marshes, ponds, lakeshores, meadows, bogs, fens, wet prairies and tundra. They also occur in understories in different types of forests. Sedges are ecologically important; often being dominant species in many types of wetlands and playing an important role in primary productivity and in the hydrologic cycle. Sedges are also source of food and cover for many aquatic and amphibious animals. Some Carex species have the ability to absorb excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, making them important species of plants grown in pond and tank domestic wastewater treatment plants.
Conservation and threats
This species is an important ground flora and was a food source for the tortoises living in the wild in the past. Observations show that this species can colonise the ground flora rapidly after weeding is carried out during forest restoration projects.
Did you know?
The plant was named after Jean-Baptiste Geneviève Marcellin Bory of St. Vincent, a French officer, naturalist and geographer who travelled to Mauritius in 1801. The roots structures are very important for reducing soil erosion and help the germination of native plants by keeping the soil moist.
