Sedges: Uses, Diversity, and Systematics of the Cyperaceae (Monographis in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden)

The sedge family (Cyperaceae) is one of the 10 largest families of flowering plants, with over 5000 species and 108 genera. Sedges grow on every continent except Antarctica. They occur in habitats ranging from marshes to deserts, and they dominate many ecosystems, including tundra and savanna. Some species are habitat-specific, narrowly distributed, and of conservation concern, whereas others are ubiquitous weeds that occur in a variety of environments. Many species fill key ecological roles, and others are economically important. Yet, sedges remain poorly known. Their reduced flowers and complicated patterns of morphologic variation make the identification of these fascinating plants challenging. As a result, many have avoided the study of sedges as too difficult.

Over the past decade, a marked upsurge of interest in sedges has occurred. Professional botanists, conservationists, and students have made rapid strides in understanding the ecology, economics, taxonomy, and phylogeny of the Cyperaceae. As the proceedings of the first international conference devoted to sedges, Sedges: Uses, Diversity, and Systematics of the Cyperaceae is a keystone of sedge literature. This volume contains 14 chapters authored by internationally renowned experts in sedge biology. Many facets of sedges are covered, both as reviews of current knowledge and as reports of original research. Topics include ethnobotany, weeds, biogeography, floristics, conservation, ecology, genetic diversity, phylogeny, and taxonomy. Both taxonomic and geographic coverage are broad: Carex to Uncinia, and boreal North America to Amazonia. Field exploration, analysis of morphologic data, molecular systematics, and allozyme analysis are among the diversity of techniques featured in this book.