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What’s the difference between grasses and sedges? in terms of anatomy and classification.

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    – theforestecologist ♦
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Short answer

Sedges have edges, and they're in different families.

See Minnesota Wildflowers for a great summary with images.

Long answer

Both are in the order Poales, but they are in different families:

  • Grasses = Poaceae (of the graminid clade)

  • Sedges = Cyperaceae (of the [non-monophyletic]1 cypirid lineage)

Some anatomical differences:

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Compiled using info from here and here

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Source: New York Botanical Garden

Citations

1. Bouchenak-Khelladi, Y., Muasya, A.M. and Linder, H.P., 2014. A revised evolutionary history of Poales: origins and diversification. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 175(1):4-16.

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    $\begingroup$ What is an "edge" in this context? $\endgroup$
    – terdon on strike
    May 2, 2020 at 20:55
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    $\begingroup$ @Terdon see the stem shape. Sedges have triangular stems instead of round. Each face of the triangle is an "edge" $\endgroup$
    – theforestecologist ♦
    May 2, 2020 at 21:48

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