The sedge family (Cyperaceae) is one of the 10 largest
families of flowering plants, with over 5000 species
and 108 genera. Sedges grow on every continent
except Antarctica. They occur in habitats ranging
from marshes to deserts, and they dominate many
ecosystems, including tundra and savanna. Some
species are habitat-specific, narrowly distributed, and
of conservation concern, whereas others are
ubiquitous weeds that occur in a variety of environments.
Many species fill key ecological roles, and
others are economically important. Yet, sedges
remain poorly known. Their reduced flowers and
complicated patterns of morphologic variation
make the identification of these fascinating plants
challenging. As a result, many have avoided the study
of sedges as too difficult.
Over the past decade, a marked upsurge of interest
in sedges has occurred. Professional botanists,
conservationists, and students have made rapid
strides in understanding the ecology, economics,
taxonomy, and phylogeny of the Cyperaceae. As the
proceedings of the first international conference
devoted to sedges, Sedges: Uses, Diversity, and
Systematics of the Cyperaceae is a keystone of sedge
literature. This volume contains 14 chapters authored
by internationally renowned experts in sedge
biology. Many facets of sedges are covered, both as
reviews of current knowledge and as reports of
original research. Topics include ethnobotany, weeds,
biogeography, floristics, conservation, ecology,
genetic diversity, phylogeny, and taxonomy.
Both taxonomic and geographic coverage are broad:
Carex to Uncinia, and boreal North America to
Amazonia. Field exploration, analysis of morphologic
data, molecular systematics, and allozyme analysis
are among the diversity of techniques featured in
this book.
Contents
1. Frosted Curls to Tiger Nuts: Ethnobotany of Cyperaceae David A. Simpson
2. The Significance of Cyperaceae as Weeds Charles T. Bryson and Richard Carter
3. Diversity, Endemism, and Phytogeography of North American Coastal Plain Sedges Bruce A. Sorrie
4. Carex (Cyperaceae) of the Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana, U.S.A. Philip E. Hyatt
5. Description of the Population, Canopy Cover, and Associated Vegetation of the Globally Rare Sedge Carex polymorpha (Cyperaceae) in Nescopeck State Park, Pennsylvania Jamie L. Horvath, Timothy A. Block, and Ann Fowler Rhoads
6. Segregation of Sedge Species (Cyperaceae) Along Environmental Gradients in Fens of the Schefferville
Region, Northern Quebec Anna Dabros and Marcia J. Waterway
7. The Carex Flora of Quebec Labrador North of 54 degrees North Jacques Cayouette
8. Allozyme Variation in the Genus Carex...15 Years Later: 1986 to 2001 Leo P. Bruederle, Stephen L. Yarbrough, and Shannon D. Fehlberg
9. Phylogeny and Patterns of Convergence in Carex Sect. Ovales (Cyperaceae): Evidence from ITS and 5.8S Sequences Andrew L. Hipp
10. East vs. West: Monophyletic Clades Within the Paraphyletic Carex acuta Complex, Section Phacocystis (Cyperaceae) Julie A. Dragon and David S. Barrington
11. Carex Sect. Phyllostachyae: The Value of a Multidisciplinary Approach in Conducting Systematics Studies in Sedges Bruce A. Ford, Robert F. C. Naczi, and Julian R. Starr
12. Phylogeny of the Unispicate Taxa in Cyperaceae Tribe Cariceae II: The Limits of Uncinia Julian R. Starr, Stephen A. Harris, and David A. Simpson
13. Towards a Revision of the Genus Pleurostachys (Cyperaceae): Preliminary Results William Wayt Thomas and Marccus Alves
14. Cladistic Analysis in Rhynchospora Sect. Pluriflorae (Cyperaceae) Ana Claudia Araujo, William Wayt Thomas, and Hilda M. Longhi Wagner.