Common Name: Beaked Sedge

General Information

Carex utriculata is a perennial plant growing from a creeping, stoloniferous rootstock. It produces clusters of grall-like leaves around 90 - 150cm tall[].
The plantt is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Carex utriculata is widespread with mainly stable populations and does not face any major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

N. America - Alaska to Nunavut, south to northern Mexico and Virginia; Eurasia - Norway to Romania, east to Russian Far East, Japan and Korea

Habitat

Open swamps, wet thickets, marshes, sedge meadows, bogs, fens, stream, pond, and lakeshores; at elevations from sea level to 3,500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a damp to wet soil in full sun or shade[, ].
An abundant and variable plant, it is often a dominant of wetlands in subarctic, boreal, and north-temperate wetlands[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

The pith of the stem can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a sugary taste[].

Root and tuberous stem bases - cooked[, ]. Eaten by children[].

Seed[]. No further details are given, but the seed is small and fiddly to use[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The culms are used for making table mats in Japan[]. (as Carex rhynchophysa)

The leaves of most species in this genus can be used to make a soft, insulated bedding for sleeping on when camping etc[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in the spring in a moist soil in light shade. If seed is in short supply it can be sown in a cold frame and be planted out in the summer. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 15°c[]. Species in this genus, when started from seed tend to stay diminutive for over a year, with plant leaves remaining stunted and fragile for a considerable period of time[].
Division in spring[]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring.