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Exhibit of the Month 11 / 2023
Czech Sedge (Carex bohemica Schreb.)
One of nearly 90 species of sedges that grow in the Czech Republic (not counting hybrids) is the Czech Sedge (Carex bohemica). It primarily grows in Europe, but it is also known from Asia as far as China and Japan.
As the only one of our sedges, it is annual. In terms of height, it is rather among the smaller ones, although it can reach a height of up to about 30 cm. The inflorescence of the Czech Sedge is condensed into a head (so-called spike) and three long supportive leaves (bracts) grow from underneath it. The utricles have a very long beak – about 3 times longer than the achene itself. The typical appearance of the entire plant allows for relatively easy identification. This is also aided by its striking light green color and very specific ecological requirements.
It grows on sandy shores of standing and flowing waters and primarily on exposed bottoms of drained ponds and reservoirs. Therefore, it is most commonly found in pond areas in Bohemia, while it is rare elsewhere (including most of Moravia).
In the Ústí nad Labem Region, the Czech Sedge currently grows in only about 20 locations and is considered a critically endangered species. It was not known from the Ore Mountains until recently; several locations here have only been discovered in the last few years.
The Czech Sedge was described in 1772 by the German physician and naturalist Johann Christian David von Schreber (1739–1810) in the second volume of his work Beschreibung der Grässer. In the description of this species, Schreber mentions the first herbarium collections from 1712, which were made in the vicinity of Prague by the prominent Italian botanist Pier (Pietro) Antonio Micheli. Therefore, this species was assigned a specific name relating to Bohemia (Bohemia).
Compiled by Vít Joza
Photograph: Pavel Krásenský