Family: sedges (Cyperaceae)
Flowering time: May–July
Size: 15–40 cm
Habitat: low bogs and swampy meadows
A few to many erect, rounded stems of the brown sedge (Schoenus ferrugineus) form dense tufts.
The bases of the stems are clad with bristly leaves, which are one third as long as the stems. At the top of the stem, an inflorescence about 1 cm long develops, formed by up to five dark-brown spikelets. The lower supporting leaf is as long as or barely longer than the inflorescence, under which it develops. The brown sedge grows on barren bog soils. In Slovenia it is found only at a few sites in central Slovenia. Its habitat is very sensitive to human disturbance, especially to drying out and fertilization, which can alter the conditions at the site so much that the brown sedge may perish there.
As a vulnerable species it is listed on the Slovenian Red List of endangered plants.
