Sedge problem

[poschiavanus]

I found a single sedge culm in flower, but am having difficulty in identifying it:


Photo only shows one of the female spikes.

Plant is growing in a reedmace bed, and is about 50 cm tall, with a single male spike and 2-3 sessile erect female spikes. The lowest glume is about the same length as the inflorescence. The spikes are distant from each other. Fruit appears to be hairy with a distinct beak, and the glumes are awned. Ligule is blunt. Leaves I've looked at are V-shaped in cross section, 3-5 mm wide, do not appear to be hairy and edges etc. are not scabrid. Stem is blunt triangular.

Most of these features seem to point towards Hairy Sedge Carex hirta, but the leaves don't seem to have the requisite hairiness.

I'd particularly like to know if there's something obvious I've overlooked.

[Dorts]

A perfect discription to go with your photo of Hary Sedge - Carex hirta.
Hairyness can vary depending on how wet its habitat is, (wetter=less hairy). Leaves often not obviuously hairy. But awns, ligules, glumes and fruit usually are.
Very widespread, and particularly frequent in damp areas.
Dorts.

[poschiavanus]

Thanks for the re-assurance. I've found that the BSBI sedge book says much the same now that I've read the whole entry.

I collected some more utricles and took a snap with my USB microscope:



I'll have to do this with some other sedges which I know and then I might make progress with them.