Squarrose Sedge (Carex squarrosa) is a sedge of swampy woods and thickets that can easily be identified in the field. A stout, tufted sedge that can grow to a height of nearly 1 m, it has inflated perigynia (sacs) with abruptly narrowed beaks that are tightly packed on 1-2 (sometimes 3) spherical to ovoid spikes. The term squarrose means spreading, referring to the arrangement of the perigynia on the spike. The persistent style of the achene has a distinct bend to it, distinguishing it from the straight or slightly curved style of Cattail Sedge (Carex typhina).
