This one day workshop will provide an introduction to the sedge family and we will look at and identify a wide range of fresh and preserved material.
Sedges are a traditionally difficult group of plants to identify as they have small flowering and fruiting parts and can look quite similar. They belong to the family Cyperaceae, genus Carex and are excellent ecological indicators. This makes it important to identify them to species, especially as many of them are rare or scarce and several species form important community constants in the National Vegetation Classification.
In addition to a range of common sedges, we will also look at some of the less common species which are also good habitat indicators. Please feel free to bring any ‘mystery specimens’ you may have. This course is suitable for those who have not looked at sedges before and for those who are improvers. You will get more from the course if you have read up on the difference between grasses, sedges and rushes, although this will be covered.
At the end of the session, you should be familiar with the main features of the genus Carex and the diagnostic features that separate out the common species.
More information and a booking form can be found on the MMU website.