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Questions and Answers: 2018

Question: Hello, What I have is a question. Coming to know that Sedges have edges, Rushes are round, Grasses have nodes …

• Question

  Hello, What I have is a question. Coming to know that Sedges have edges, Rushes are round, Grasses have nodes that might bend to the ground, I have a need to confirm... What is being talked about is the main stem. Grasses are hollow with nodes. Rushes are solid and round and Sedges are triangular. I've been having trouble because all of these plants have leaves with edges. Thank you for your help! Sue L-B

  Answer

  Dear SueLB, good morning. The situation is actually more complex than the simplified statements portray for remembering families of grass-like plants. The "sedges have edges" comment refers to their stems, which are often (but by no means always) triangular in cross-section, so that you can often feel the edges of the stem (not the leaves) with your fingers. It turns out that several genera have other shapes to the cross-section of the stems, including round, bluntly triangular, square, and with 4 or more wing angles. Some of those species can be separated because they have leaves in three ranks (grasses have leaves in two ranks). Most sedges have flowers that are spirally arranged (those of grasses are arranged in only two ranks). Yes, most grasses have hollow stems, but both sedges and grasses have nodes (it is just that grass nodes are usually swollen and more prominent). I hope this helps a little.