The family Cyperaceae (known as sedges) has over 5,500 species worldwide and 600sp. in North America. Most commonly found in wetlands where they provide a dense understory habitat, stabilize soils and are a food source for many. Relatives of the grasses and rushes but distinct in the shape of their stem, the cross section is (almost always) triangular, and leaves that are spirally arranged in three ranks up the stem.
