Which statement best describes a sedge?

• A. A creeping plant with tubers.
• B. Triangular with solid stems.
• C. Deciduous woody vine; causes skin irritation.
• D. Do not develop woody stems, leaf veins netted, flower parts in fours or fives.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is recognizing sedges by their stem shape. Sedges have edges, meaning their stems are triangular in cross-section and solid rather than hollow. This solid, triangular stem is the hallmark that sets sedges apart from many other plants, so a description stating triangular stems with a solid core fits best.

Other descriptions don’t fit sedges: creeping plants with tubers describe a totally different growth habit; a woody deciduous vine describes a vine, not a grass-like sedge; and dip into dicot traits—netted leaf veins and flower parts in fours or fives—reflects broadleaf plants, whereas sedges are monocots with typically parallel leaf veins and floral parts arranged differently.