Noticing Grasses, Sedges and Rushes

I have been really enjoying the blog and photographs of the noticing project for about the last month . Carrying a camera with me everywhere has made me very observant of the world around me and lately what I have been noticing is grasses, sedges and rushes. What makes them so noticeable at this time of year in Ontario is that most of them are flowering . You can find them in your lawn and garden but most of the more interesting varieties are found along the roadsides, paths, forests, meadows and wetlands.

The other day I gathered as many different grasses and sedges that I could find behind my office at lunch time and made a small but very beautiful bouquet for the porch. Edgar really liked the way it smelled.

I looked at the basic classification system for these flowering plants and tried to separate them into grasses and sedges. I didn't bring home any sample of rushes because the wetland behind my office is a protected wildlife area.

Grasses are the Poaceae and sedges are Cyperaceae. So you see there are many more varieties of grasses than sedges. Here are the grasses I found.

I think I found about 16 different types. The number of sedges were only 5.

I am going to let you in on a secret easy way of telling a grass from a sedge. Sedges have edges. Grasses are conical without edges on the shafts. This end on view of the sedge group shows what I mean.

I hope that this will make you notice more of the fantastic green world growing all around you.

Comments

[katie runnels]

i love the porch photo with your cat, the arrangement and the aprons! Looks like a relaxing place to be! My prayers are with you and your kitty-I hope she was able to recover-she looks like a very sweet cat! xoxo

[rebekah]

thank you for the lovely botany lesson!

[mayalu]

Beautiful post...beautiful arrangement...I might have to run out and pick some grasses, sedges, and rushes. I never knew the difference and I just took some similar photos...I'm looking at them differently now.

[Elsita]

Beautiful post Margie!
Now Natalie is sleeping but tomorrow I will read this post to her. She will love it! Natalie loves these kinds of plants lessons as much as I do. Thank you for teaching us so many great things about nature. It is very appreciated!
Elsita :)

[helen]

Love the picture of your porch . Reminds me of celebrating Sophia's birthday last year . Your apron flags always make me smile . I wish I could just pop over sit on the porch and be with you . Love Helen

[Andrea (noricum)]

Neat!