Cyperaceae

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”269″ display=”pro_film”]The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large; botanists have described some 5,500 known species in about 90 genera – the largest being the “true sedges” (genus Carex), with over 2,000 species. Cyperaceae species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in tropical Asia and tropical South America. While sedges grow in almost all environments, many thrive in wetlands, or in poor soils. Ecological communities dominated by sedges are known as sedgelands or as sedge meadows. Read more on Wikipedia.