parasol sedge, Carex umbellata

Parasol sedge is small, not getting much over six inches tall. But it gets its job done. It grows in rocky or sandy places, often with basic pH where other plants are challenged. Find yourself a nice bare-rock alvar and you might see this. FNA notes that the seeds are sometimes found around ant hills. Sedge dispersal by ants is documented in other species of Carex, so it probably happens with parasol sedge. The ants would bite off the outer goodies and leave the seeds intact. This might be one explanation for the very hard seed coats of sedges. Parasol sedge grows in AL, AR, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK, and GL. Mackinac Co MI, 5/26/17. Sedge family, Cyperaceae.