Pendulous Sedge

 

Pendulous Sedge

B. Doherty 2017

 

Pendulus sedge in flower

B. Doherty 2018

Common Name: Pendulous Sedge

As Gaeilge: Cíb chrom

Scientific Name: Carex pendula

Identification Tips: Clump forming plant found in wet cool areas with heavy soils. Hanging male and female flowering spikes. Leaves are long and yellowish and about 2cm wide. It can grow quite tall, up to about 1.5 metres.

Flowering: From May to June followed by fruits in June and July

A Bit More About Pendulous Sedge

Sedges are a difficult group of plants to identify. To identifiy a sedge from a grass look out for its distinctive triangular stem. Luckily, compared to other sedges, the Pendulous Sedge is easy enough to identify as its flowering parts hang down and swing a bit like a pendulum! It has a wide growing range and is present as far north as Denmark and Sweden and as far south as West Africa and the Middle East.

Pendulous Sedge Flour

The seed heads of Pendulous Sedge look a bit like wild grain. Some people have tried to eat it, but it really must be winnowed and milled first. It also has sharp leaves, so be careful of your hands when picking this plant.  Also, you will need to check that it is ripe and that there are no black fungi of any type evident. However, if you get past this stage of scrutiny and succeed in making Pendulous Sedge flour, search the internet for interesting recipes such as Blackberry Crumble. Let us know how you get on – but always make sure that you know what you are doing as otherwise you could end up very sick!