Cyperaceae

Wheat sedge

Carex atherodes Spreng.

Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Carex

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Wheat sedge (Carex atherodes) — FlowerPhoto: Kallum McDonald, CC0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (11)

Chinese: 直穗苔草, 直穗薹草, 疑直穗薹草
English: Wheat sedge
Estonian: Ohtene tarn, Ohteline tarn
Finnish: Vienansara
German: Grosse Grannen-Segge, Große Grannen-Segge, Grannen-Segge
hsb: Kochćikata rězna
Persian: کارکس آترودس
Polish: Turzyca oścista
Russian: Осока прямоколосая, Осока Зигерта, Осока остистая, Осока прямоколосная, Осока сверхкрупная
Swedish: Finnstarr
Ukrainian: Осока остюкова

Synonyms

Carex amurensis var. mandschurica Kük.
Carex aristata R.Br.
Carex aristata Siegert ex Wimm.
Carex aristata subsp. imberbis A.Gray
Carex aristata subsp. orostachys (C.A.Mey.) Kük.
Carex aristata subsp. orostachys C.A.Mey.
Carex aristata subsp. orthostachys (C.A.Mey.) Kük.
Carex aristata var. browniana Asch.
Carex aristata var. cujavica Asch. & Sprib.
Carex aristata var. glabra R.Uechtr.
Carex aristata var. imberbis (A.Gray) Farw.
Carex aristata var. kirschsteiniana Asch. ex Lackow.
Carex aristata var. kirschsteinii Asch. & Graebn.
Carex aristata var. longo-lanceolata Dewey
Carex aristata var. maxima (Kük.) Kük.
Carex aristata var. orthostachys (C.A.Mey.) C.B.Clarke
Carex aristata var. siegertiana (R.Uechtr.) Asch.
Carex aristata var. subaristata Kük.
Carex aristata var. vix-vaginans Kük.
Carex atherodes f. glabra (R.Uechtr.) Lepage
Carex atherodes f. imberbis (A.Gray) B.Boivin
Carex atherodes var. cujavica (Asch. & Sprib.) Rauschert
Carex atherodes var. glabra (R.Uechtr.) Rauschert
Carex atherodes var. kirschsteinii (Asch. & Graebn.) Rauschert
Carex atherodes var. longo-lanceolata (Dewey) Gilly
Carex atherodes var. maxima (Kük.) A.E.Kozhevn.
Carex atherodes var. orthostachys (C.A.Mey.) A.E.Kozhevn.
Carex atherodes var. siegertiana (Uechtr.) Rauschert
Carex atherodes var. vix-vaginans (Kük.) A.E.Kozhevn.
Carex fuscifructus C.B.Clarke
Carex glaberrima Meinsh.
Carex hirta subsp. siegertiana (R.Uechtr.) Nyman
Carex mirata Dewey
Carex mirata var. minor Dewey
Carex orostachys C.A.Mey.
Carex orthostachys C.A.Mey.
Carex orthostachys Trev. ex Nyman
Carex orthostachys Rupr.
Carex orthostachys var. spuria Y.L.Chang & Y.L.Yang
Carex pergrandis V.I.Krecz. & Luchnik

and 11 more.

Flowers

In flower: May to August (from 14 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: green (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Alaska: native, Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Kallum McDonald, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Kallum McDonald, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Trevor Van Loon, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Reuven Martin, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Rostyslav Yurechko, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Reuven Martin, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Anastasia Titovets, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Valerii Glazunov, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Quinten Wiegersma, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Valerii Glazunov, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Reuven Martin, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Екатерина Войнова, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Carex

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.