Necklace Sedge  - Scientific Name: Carex projecta or C. ormostachya
A grass-like perennial sedge forming dense tufts with graceful, arching flower stalks that droop, creating bead-like seed heads (perigynia) that give it its name. Found in moist to wet soils in sun or shade, often in swamps, meadows, and along stream banks, it features narrow leaves and is identified by its distinctively arranged spikes and specific perigynium features, differentiating it from similar Carex species.

Physical Characteristics:
Habit: Forms dense clumps from a short rootstock, with some varieties sending out stems that root where they touch the ground, starting new colonies.
Stems (Culms): Hairless, smooth, 3-sided, and can grow up to 3 feet (0.9 m) tall, often longer than the leaves.
Leaves: Narrow (3-7 mm wide), linear, green, and rough along the edges, shorter than the flowering stems.
Inflorescence (Flower/Seed Heads): Produces small, inconspicuous greenish-brown flowers that develop into seed heads (clusters of achenes in perigynia) that look like beads on a string, giving it the common name.
Spikes: Often have more spread-out, distinct spikes compared to similar sedges like C. tribuloides. 
 
Habitat & Growing Conditions:
Habitat: Found in diverse moist to wet sites: meadows, marshes, stream banks, forest edges, swamps, and shorelines.
Light: Tolerates full sun but prefers part shade.
Soil: Moist to wet.