Sedges of the Cariboo Forest Region, British Columbia A

A field guide to the Sedges of the Cariboo Forest Region, British Columbia A. Field Guideto the Sedges of the Cariboo Forest Region, British Columbia

Anna Roberts

drawings by Shirley Salkeld

Province of British Columbia Ministry of Forests TABLE OF CONTENTS

-~~

page (s)

Acknowledgements ...... vii

Figure I ...... viii

Introduction ...... 1-3

GrasslandSedges, Section 1...... 5-11

Dry Forest Sedges, Section 2 ...... 13-21

Wet Forest Sedges, Section 3 ...... 23-33

Wetland Sedges, Sect.ion 4 ...... 3 5-65

Subalpine and Alpine Sedges, Section 5 ...... 67-81

ApDendix I ...... 83

Illustrated Glossary ...... 84, 85

Glossary Terms ...... 65, 87

Bibliography ...... 88

Index ...... 89

V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to express my appreciation to Dr. Adolf Ceska, B.C. Provincial Pluseum, forproviding information on nomenclature, for verifyingidentifi-

cations, and forthe use of his unpublished key "Genus :y.-:~s 2: ofthe Pacific

Northwest" 1976.

Ray Coup6, CaribooResearch Section,provided encouragement and many helpfulsuggestions.

RosaleeYaurice, Cariboo Research Section,patiently and efficiently typed themanuscript. The botanicaldescriptions havebeen abstracted from the manuals listedin the bibliography.

vii Cariboo / Forest

Fig. 1. Location of the Cariboo Forest Region within Bri tish Columbia.

... VI11 INTRODUCTION

Sedges aregrass-1 ike plants that belong to the genus C,~!':S in thefamily Cyperaceae. In the Cariboo Forest Region many differentspecies occur and in a wide variety of habitats. Although predominantlyassociated with the numerous wetlands that occurthroughout the region, many sedgesare also found inthe forest,in the grassland, and inthe alpine.

Sedges are an important:;ource of foragefor both livestock and wildlife. The largewater sedges form a major part of the "swamp hay" harvested from the wetlands. Thesesedges contain more protein,fats, and carbohydrates, and less crudefibre than grassesresulting in a nutritious but light-weight hay. Some species,particularly in thegrasslands, are good indicators of rangecondition. Sedges oftenplay a part in protectingsoils from erosion, and in wetlandareas help to buildpeat soils. As pressures for increas2dresource utilization continue a sound basis forintensive management of the land becomes increasinglyimportant. The Ministry of Forests hasdeveloped an ecologicalclassification system in order to provide resource managers with a constant framework to aid theirinterpretive needs. This systemrequires the botanical identification of characteristic plant species from many differenthabitats. The sedgesare a complex and difficult group to identify. Although a number of standardreferences describe a large number of species, no one illustratedtext deals with all thespecies occurring in the Cariboo Forest Region. The purpose of thisbooklet, therefore, is to provideresource managers with an easy to usefield guide to the identification ofsedges in the Cariboo Region.

Scope ThisField Guide is designed to aid inthe identification of sedges by: (1) dividingthe sedges of theregion into five groups according to theprincipal environmentin which theyoccur; (2) keying separatelythe common species within each group; (3) describingthe features of eachsedge in such a way that it can be easilydistinguished from othersin the same group; and (4) providinqlife-like illustrations of the plants. The grouping of sedges into five groups according toenvironment is based on severalyears experience in observing and collecting plants during field work for the Cariboo Range Section.

There areapproximately 150 species of the genus C twz inBritish Col urnbia. Eighty-four of thesespecies are known to occur in the Cariboo Forest Region (seeFigure 1) and areincluc.ed in this Field Guide.

The 56 most common sedges have been illustrated. These illustrationsare all originaldrawings by ShirleySalkeld, Cariboo ResearchSection, using specimens from the Cariboo RegionalHerbarium. Emphasishas been placed on largepen-and-ink drawings, ~~howingfull views of theplants as well as details of diagnosticfeatures. Withineach of thefive grouDs,the illustrationsare organized by visualsimilarity for a quickcomparison between species of similar appearance.Brief descriptive notes are given for each plant emphasizingthose featuresparticularly useful for fieldidentification. Nomenclature

Thenomenclature used follows that of Taylor and MacBryde (1977), with five exceptions.In each of these five cases the name used b,y Taylorand MacBryde is 'listed as a synonym.Three species, Carex prairea and C. simuZatx, both common in thisregion, and C. tem~a,an uncommon species,are new tothe list of vascular plantsin B.C. (Taylorand MacBryde, 1977). Common names arenot used because theyvary from lace to place. There are voucher specimens in the Cariboo Regional Herbarium (i4K)B for all C7mx specieslisted here, with the exception of Carex snrenge7,ii. P, collectionof this species, from this re ion, is inthe herbarium c;f c;f the British Columbia Provincial Museum, Victoria (V) 9 .

How toTell SedgesFrom OtherGrass-Like Plants

Plantswithin the Cyperaceae family (sedges, spi kerushes, cottongrass, kobresia,bulrushes and clubrushes), the Poaceae farnily (grasses), and the Juncaceae family(rushes and woodrushes) a1 1 have a "grass-like" appearance and may be confusedwith each other. The distinguishingfeature of a sedge is that eachfemale flower is enclosed in a sac,called the perigynium. (j'er?: means "around"and ~ynrefers to female reproductiveparts). Sometires this sac is inflated and easy to see; sometimes it isthin and closelybound to the flower. Each perigyniumcontains one achene (fruit) and is solitaryin the axil of a singlescale. (Perigynia and other featuresof sedges are illustrated in the glossary on pages 54-85). Othergenera withinthe Cyperaceae family have fruit as a bareachene with no perigynium, or with anopen perigynium as in .~oFres

The followingtable points out a fewcharacteristics which can be used to distinguishsedges from plants belonging to the Poaceae and Juncaeae families.

SEDGES GRASSES RUSHES, WOODRUSHES

Simplified c'ross - sectional round round diagramof hol 1 ow sol id jointed notjointed s tern, 1 eaves notjointed leafless 1 eaves or 3-ranked 2-ranked 2-ranked

F1 ower I perigynium capsule 1 Fruit 3 to many-seeded! achene I-seeded 1-seeded bract-] ike segments 1

1. Acronym listedin Index Herbariorum. 2 How To Use ThisField Guide

To identify a sedge, first notethe broad environmentalcategory (grassland,dry forest, wet forest,wetlands, subalpine-alpine) in which the plant is growing. Then turn to thecorresponding section in the guide, and usethe key to species found in that section. To usethe keys a plant with well-developed fruits (perigynia)is usually needed. Determinethe location of the remnants of the male flowers,usually withered filaments. Observethe type of root system to seewhether a rhizome ispresent.

The keys areconstructed using paired statements containing contrasting characteristics.If the plant's characteristics do not agree with statement 'a' thenthey will fit statement 'b'; proceedthen to thenext pair of statementsunder the correct dlternative. This process is followed until a name is reached.Verify thl? speciesidentification comparing the plant with theillustration and thedescriptive notes beside it. If thedescription obviouslydoes not fit, it ma.y be an uncommon sedge which is not in thekey, or one outsideits normal habitat. In thiscase reference should bemade to the standard manuals listedin the bibliography. Technicalterms have been kept to a minimum; however, theuse of some botanicalterminology is unav3idable. An illustratedglossary plus a glossary of terms have been provided t3 help clarify the meaning of terms particular to sedges.

Limitations

There arecertain pitfalls in organizing plantsaccording to broad environmentalcategory. Although most sedgesare quite specific and predictable in their distribution, it must be remembered that theenvironmental -categories used hereare general trends and are not absolute.Occasionally a plant will be encounteredoutside the environmental category in which itis treated here. Species which are known to occurregularly in more than one of thefive environmentsare listed more than once. It is important to note that the keys inthis field guide are designed for use in the Cariboo Forest Region only. They ma,y be misleading if used to identifysedges from otherregions. To simplifythe task of identifyingsedges, uncommon speciesare not included in thekeys, but arelisted separately.

Investigations on sedges of theCariboo Region is continuingover the next few years. As new knowledge isgained, and thisguide is field tested, revisions willlikely be made.

Anna Roberts Range Section Cari boo Forest Region

3 Grassland Sedqes

""--""

Section 1

5 GRASSLAND SEDGES

Grasslands

Dry non-forestedareas of the Interior Douglas-fir(IDF) and Ponderosa Pine - Bunchgrass (PPBG) biogeoclimnticzones, characterized by Chernozemic soi 1 s and plant communi tiesdominated by grasses andlow forbs.

RarelyEncountered Species: C. iou::7 xs-:: Boott

Key : la.plants less than 20 cm high,rhizomatous; perigynia inflated 2a.spike solitary, with well developed terminal male portion

n -:-+, . I , ...... L. ../c. . P. 8 2b.spikes 4-8, densely aggregated into a solitary head,each -. spike with male portion above female ...... 4.fl ..- .c'L?->r:-2~ .. P. 9 lb.plants more than 20 cm high;perigynia wing-margined 3a.plants densely tufted; spikes with male portion below female 4a.perigynia large 5.8-8 mm; spikesmore or less aggregated

1, , " I > Y- . into an erect head ...... L...... p. 10 4b.perigynia smaller, 4.5-5.7 mm; head relativelyloose and .. flexuous,thelowest internodes each 5-10 mm.. .L'...... p. 1.1 3b.plants appearing serially from widely creeping stout black rhizomes;spikes with male portion above female or plant .,. .,-,, 1,1 dioecious ...... c:'l>:.-w -L~ p.51

7 Carex ob tusa tu plant - verysmall, 10-15 cm tall; usuallysingle plants at semi-regularintervals along a slender dark rhizome spike - one spikeper stem with well developed male portion at thetop, shorter femaleportion below perigynia - few,generally 1-9, plump, dark and glossy when ripe, 3-3.5 mm long comments - a common smallsedge of thedry grassland. C. obtusatc maturesearly in June. Although palatable to livestock,it has theability to increase on over- grazedrangeland. The singlespike with dark perigyniadistinguishes this species from c. eipockyis.

8 Carexeleocharis plant - very small, 3-15 cm tall; in tufts from longslender rhizomes spikes - 4-8 spikesdenselyggregated into a solitaryhead; each spikewith male portion above and female cortion below perigynia - brownish, 2.6-3.3 mm, projecting beyond thescale when ripe comments - a fairly common smallsedge of the dry grassland. It flowersearly in thespring, has the tenderlcy to gro1.v inlarge mats, and increasesin heavily utilizedareas. Can be cclnfusedwith C. ob::-~4sati~.

9 1 cm

I 10 cm

Carex petasata plant - denselytufted, 40-7CIcmtall; stems stiffly erect spikes - 3-6 overlappingspikes, male portion at thebase of each perigynia - large,flattened, wing-margined, 5.8-8 mm long comments - this is the commorl largesedge of the grassland, never dominant, but an indicator of goQd rangecondition as it is not resistant to heavy grazing. Can be confusedwith c'. :~~;icoZg. 70 Carex praticola plant - denselytufted, 30-80 cm tall; inflorescencetending to be somewhat ~""- - ___l__l -___nodd i ng spikes - 4-7 spikes, the two __lowest internodes___ each ". 3-10 mm perigynia - flattened, wing-margined, "______4.5-5.7 mm long comments - a widespreadsedge, found in slight1.ymoister habitats than C. c!,.t:zs(Zi;i:, at the edge clf thegrassland and occasionallyin the forest. Dry ForestSedges

Section 2

13 DRY FOREST SEDGES

Dry Forests : Forestedareas characterized by the presence of pi negrass (CaZama:?rostis rubescens) growingunder Douglas-fi r or lodgepolepine, and receivingless than 64 cm of annual precipitation. These forestsoccur predominantly in the InteriorDouglas-fir (IDF) biogeoclimatic zone and thedry subzones of the Sub- BorealSpruce (SSS). The soi1s are characteri sti cal lyLuvi sol s and Brunisols. Such habitatswill also occur on drier,excessively drained sitesin other zones. Generallocation of dry forest in the Cariboo Forest Region.

Common Species:

Carex concinncr R.Br. C. coneinnoides Mack. C. peckii Howe C. prJaticoZa Rydb. C. richardsonii R. Bv: C. rossii Boott C. siccatcl Dewey (= C. foenea Wi 1 Id.)

RarelyEncountered Species:

Carex deflexa Horn. C. smimontnna Mack. C. sprenge Iii Dewey

Key : la. pi-lrigyniapubescent, not wing-margined 2a. some spikesarising from base of stems,widely separated from .. the terminal spikesterminal the ...... C. POSS:: p. 18 2b. spikes all borneclose together toward the end of flowingstems much exceedingthe leaves, none basal 3a.bract subtending lowest spike shorter than spike;perigynia beakless or with beak less than 0.5 mm 4a. male spikesmall, 3-6 mm long; leaves1-3 mm wide.C. cow?^:: p. 17 4b. male spikelarger, 8-20 mm long; leaves 2-5 mrn wide 5a. male spikenoticeably stalked; stems strongly roughened; stigmas3...... C. ~~icIxm:so;-<-'p. 20 5b. male spikesessile; stems smooth or nearly so; stigmas usually 4...... C. concLr:w:,.xs,- p. 21 3b. bractsubtending lowest spike longer than lower spike, foliaceous;perigynia with bidentate beak 0.5 mm or more long - ...... c. r:208<:'~* p. 19 lb. perigyniaglabrous, wing-margined 6a. stemssingly from slender brown creepingrhizome...... C. s

Carexsiccata plant - stem slender, 15-50 cm tall, arisingsingly from slender, brown, scaly rhizome leaves - several,shorter than stem spikes - relatively few, sessilein a linear-oblong head perigynia - glabrous, about 5 mm longincluding the prominent long beak; conspicuouslylonger than thescales comments - a common species in areas ofsandy soilin the open dryforest. The long softleaves could easily be mistaken for pinegrass iCaZamagrostis rubescensi. 16 cm

SIPS

Carexconcinna

plant - small,tufted, with rhizomes leaves - narrow, lax, more or lessrecurving; usually shorter than the stem spikes - terminal male spikesmall, 3-6 mm; femalespikes 2 or 3 perigynia - pubescent, plump, 2.5-3 mm long, twiceas long asthe broad scales comments - C. concinm is a species of moist,shady, ..dry climateforests, such as those composed of ,?:tea :rf,cxucg and is,?~ulnpLq~~~~.+~i~~:. Alsooccurs in shrub- " carrswith Behh ~~lnn~!~~l,oso.

17 Carex rossii plant - low;dense tufts leaves - elongate,rather lax and often surpassing the stem spikes - bractsof non-basal Female spikes well developed, leaflike, usually longer thanthe inflorescence; some spikesform near the base of plant, widely separatedfrom terminal Fikes; male spikes 4-10 mm. perigynia - pubescent,3-4.5 mm long;beak 0.8-1.5 mm comments - a widespreadsedge of dry or well drained open forest; often found in clearingsor encroaching into the grassland at the edge of the forest. Also foundon dry sites in the subalpine. similarspecies - C. ?P-~~PXOcan be distinguished from C. ros,sii b,y thesmall spike (2-5 mm), smallperigynia ((2-2.5mm) andshorter beak (9.5 mm) of C. ?P.%-J~. C. saximontan? canbe distinguished by the enlarqed leaflike lower bracts which concealthe spikes and bythe glabrous perigynia. 18 \

1 cm

Carex peck i i plant - looselytufted from short ascendingrhizome; stems reddish purple at base, longer than thesoft, pale leaves spikes - 3 to 4, theterminal onemale; foliaceous bract often longer than the i nf1 orescence perigynia - pubescent,elliptic, much longer than wide comments - found in open forest,particularly shrubbyplaces; can be confusedwith C. concinna and C. rossii.

79 Carex richardsonii plant - looselytufted from creeping,scaly rhizome leaves - clusterednear the base, up to 5 mm wide, lax and usuallyshorter than the stem spikes - male spike terminal, not.iseijbly__ stalked;- female sDike 15-25 flowered; stems strongly roughened perigynia - pubescent, plump, narrower and shorter than thescales; stigmas three comments - thisis the common sedge of thelodgepole pine and Douglas-firforest. It is moreroticeablein the spring when thestems are erect and theflowering male spikeis yellow. Later in the season the stems lie horizontally on the ground. Thisspecies can be confusedwith C. mr~:lnnc/.,~,’:r.;e: but is separated by thestalked male spike and thescabrous stem. 20 Carex concinnoides plant - looselytufted from creepinq,scaly rhizome leaves - clusterednear the base, up to 5 mm wide, lax and usuallyshorter than the stem spikes - male spike terminal, conspicuous and sessile;__ female spike 5-13 flowered; stems smooth or nearly so perigynia - pubescent, plump, dider and longer than thescales; stigmas four comments - like C. richnrtlsonii, this sedgeoccurs in the lodgepole pine and Douglas-firforest but is n83t as common. It can also be found on dryalpine slopes up to 2100 metres.

27 Wet Forest Sedges

Section 3

23 WET FOREST SEDGES

Wet Forests: Forestedareas which receive an annual precipitationin excess of 64 cm, inthe Interior Cedar Hemlock (ICH) biogeoclimati c zone and inthe wetter Sub-Boreal Spruce (SBS) subzones.These sedges occur primarily on wettersites wi'thinthese forests.Similar habitats maybe found inother forested zones where thereis excessmoisture due, for example, to seepage.

Common Species: .,

Less Common Species:

Key : la. spikes all sessile 2a. spikesclosely packed, or so1.i tary

3a. spike solitary ...... c...- ; . 1.' - ::: 1. p. 30 3b.spikes more than one

4a. scalesblack, perig:ynia not l!jing-margined.. .C. v~~*.~~:..~~" p. 27 4b. scales brown, pariqynia wi ng-margi ned. ...C. ;x? 2;-;~s-7 ;; ;,.: p. 56 2b. spikeswell separated 5a. leaveswide, 2-5 mm 6a. sui kes large, 5-7 mnl wide; large 6b. spikes smaller, 4-5 mm wide, head 5b. leavesnarrow, 1-2.5 mm P - .. 7a. perigyniapubescent ...... L. :':,">*:;: p. 19 7b. perigynia smooth 8a.spikes very small, each with 1-4 perigynia; male n " -* flowers abovefemale on same spike ..... L. ,~~,,T-cJ:~T p. 29 8b.spikes small, each with 5-10 perigynia; male flowers below female on same spike. .. C. b~~:;c-~;?.~~sp. 31 lb. spikes nodding on filiformpeduncles 9a. 6-10 spikes;terminal spike nodding, 1.5-4 cm long.. ..C. r.-!~-,c:;:c~~-,-. p. 73 9b. 2-5 spikes;terminal spike erect, 0.4-1 cm long ...... C. c=,r-':::I.!,: p. 26 25 1 cm

Carex capillaris plant - slender, densely tufted, 10-60 cm tall spikes - lateral spikes at ends

~“_I__~of nodding ~ pedunclgss;filiform terminal spike male perigynia - elliptic in outline, ql i st-eJjnq bronze when ripe comments - a fairly common sedge of moist open forests and shrub-carr. C. sprengelii may key out here butis distinctive having a much larger perigynium (4-7 mm) with a long slender beak.

26 Carex norvegica plant - tuftedfrom a short rhizome; 20-70 cm tal 1 spikes - 3-4 erectspikes closelypacked at the tip__ of thestem; scales black perigynia - ellipticin outl.ine, green when young,bronze when ripe, 1.9-3.0 mm long comments - frequentin moist, partially openhabitats up to 2100 m inelevation. Can :be confusedwith L'. atrcFciumn whichhas larger spikes (terminalspike greater than 10 mrn long)and perigynia greaterthan 3 mm.

1 1 cm

27 i

28 Carex disperma

plant - loosetufts of slender stems and 1 eaves spikes - spikesvery small and few-flowered, wellseparated from each other; terminal spikewith mal e flowers at the top perigxnia - erector at anangle less than 90 tothe main axis; 9 orfewer thin nerveson each surface comments - this is a very common sedge of wetforests. Can beconfused with C. iioZiacea whichhas a terminalspike withstaminate flowers at the base; perigyniaspread at an angle of goo; and 9 ormore stout nerves on each Perigyni um surface. C. trisperma a1 so hasfew-flowered distant sPikes; howeverthe long bract (2-6 cm) ofthe lowestspike will distinguishthis species.

1 cm

1 Carex loliacea

29 1 cm

Carex leptalea

plant - ver,!j slender from thread-1ike creepingrhizome; 10-40 cm tall; leaves, stem and rhizomesnever exceeding 1 mm " ~ inwidth spike - solitar.y, 0.5-1.5 cm long perigynia - distinctivewith rounded apex, green comments - thisinconspicuous sedge is widespreadin mossy forests and shrubb~yfens.

30 Carexbrunnescens plant - denselyclustered, fine stems exceeding the 1 eaves spikes - 3-5 small,few-flowered spikes, the lower stronglyseparated; male flowers below female on same spike perigynia - small, 2-2.5 mm, loosely spreading at maturity; beak obvious, giving a saw-edge margin appearanceto thespike comments - occasionalin moist forest. Two subspeciesoccur: ssp. p~v"!,-~icawi th weak, curvedstems 30-65 cm tall ; ssp. azaskana with stiff,erect stems 29-40 cm tall. C. brunnescens can be confused with a sedge of the open wetlands, C. canescens,which has larger, more numerous-flowered spikes that aDpear smooth inoutline. A less common moist forestspecies, C. Zaeviculmis, is similar, but has a larger perigynium (2.5-3.0 mm) with a longer beak (0.5-1.0 mm), and a more remotelower spike. Another uncommon species, C. trisperma, would key out here. It has larger perigyni um (3.0-4.0mm) , fewerspikes (2-3), and theaxis of theinflorescence is often elbowed at thelower spikes.

31 1 cm

cm Carex deweyana plant - lax,in loose to dense clumps 30-50 cm tal 1, stems weak and spreading spikes - 2-6 well separated,-__ few-floweredspikes; bract subtendingthe lower spike is prolonged peri gyni a - 1 ance-el 1 i pti c, tapering to a prominent-beak comments - a sedge of the shady moistforest. 32 comments - oftenfound in dis- turbedareas at the edge of theforest. Can.. beconfused wi wi th C. .,I -. . 33 Wetland Sedaes

Section 4

35 WETL.AND SEDGES

Wet1 ands:

Open areas below thesubalpine zonewith soils that arepermanently or periodically saturated. Common Species:

Corm aqucxtilis Wall1 . C. rxtherodes Spreng. C. athrostachya 01 ney C. cxurea Nutt. C. buxhaumii Wahl . C. canescms L. C. capi%Znris L. C. chordorrkiza Ehrh. C. eusickii mlack . C. diandra Schrank C. dioicn L. ssp. ggnocrcxtes (Wormsk.) Hult. C. dispema Dewey C. exsiccntn Bai ley (= C. vesicnria L. ) C, interior Bai 1 ey C. lanuginosn Mi chx. C. lasiocnrpu Ehrh, C. Zeptalea Wahl. C. Zimosu L. C. microptern Mack ,, C. norvegiea Retz. (= C. medicr 9.Br. ) C. parryann Dewey C. pauciflorn Li ghtf . C, paupercu 7,n Mi chx . C. praegraci ?, is Boot t C. prnirm Dewey C. rostrcxhcx Stokes C. sartwc! I Ii?: Dewe;/ C. sirnulaha Mack. C. sitchensis Prescott C. tenuislorn !dah1 , C, l)

Less Common Species:

37 WETLAND SEDGES

K ey : la. largewater sedges; stems stout; leaves wide, septate - nodulose; inflorescenceelongate, with long leafybract; 7 species ...... p. 40-45 lb. plants not as above 2a. spikes more than one 3a. perigyniapubescent; tall slender plants with rhizomes 4a. leavesrolled, less than 2 mm wide...... C. Zasiocarpa p. 46 4b. leavesflat, 2-5 mm wide...... C. Zanuyinosn p. 47 3b. perigyniaglabrous; plants various 5a.spikes with long peduncles;terminal spike male 6a. femalespikes nodding on filiformpeduncles 7a. rootscovered with yellowish wooly hairs 8a.terminal male spike long, 15-27 mm ...... C. Zimosa p. 48 8b.terminal male spike short, 4-12 mm ..... C. paupercula p. 49 7b. roots withoutyellowish hair cover; male spike 4-10 mm ...... C. capizzaris p. 26 6b. femalespikes erect; lowest bract long; perigynia beakless ...... C. auma p. 61 5b. spikesall sessile or withvery short peduncles 9a. spikes all alike loa. spikesclosely aggregated lla. male flowers above female or plantsdioecious 12a. plantswith creeping rhizome 13a.leaves clustered near base 14a. perigynia smal 1, 1.7-2.5 mm, beak less than 0.5 mm ...... c. simlata p. 50 14b. perigynialarger, 2.6-4.6 mm, beak 0.6-1.3 mm ...... C. praegracizis p. 51 13b. leaves not formingbasal cluster 15a. tal 1 coarse plant, 50-80 cm .....C. sartweZZii p. 52 15b. plant 10-30 cm; horizontal stem just under moss surf ace...... C. chordorrhiza p. 59 12b. plantsdensely tufted, with short rhizome 16a. leaves narrow, lessthan 3 mm wide 17a. sheath not copper-tinged at mouth .....C. diandra p. 54 17b. sheathcopper-tinged at mouth, convex and prolonged ...... C. prairea p. 55

38 16b. leaveswider, 3-5 mm; sheath copper-tinged at mouth, onlymoderately prolonged ...... C. cusickii p. 55 llb. male flowers below female 18a. plantsdensely tufted; perigynia longer than 3 mm, beak long 19a. lower bract of inflorescenceelongate; perigynia narrow, thin-edged .....C. athrostnchya p. 57 19b. bracts a1 1 short 213a. spikes crowded into a cone-shaped head;perigynia thin-edged ...... C. rnicroptera p. 56 20b. spikesdistinct; perigynia widely spreading at maturity., ...... C. interior p. 62 18b. plantswith short or filiform rhizome; perigynialess than 3 mm, beak very short or none 21a. 3 smal 1 spikes,less than 4 mm, closely bunched at tip of stem,scales light .....C. tenuifZora p. 60 21b. 3-5 erectspikes, 6-10 mm long, at tip of stem; scales dark...... c. norvegica p. 27 lob. spikes not, closelyaggregated; 1ower spikes separated 22a. spikesvery small, less than 5 mm, few f 1 owred ...... C. disperma p. 29 22b. spik:es 5-10 mm, with15-30 f 1 owers .....C. canescens p . 58 9b. terminalspike differing from the 0 thers,mostly male 23a. bractsubtending lowest spike relatively short, spikesstiffly erect...... C. parrgana p. 53 23b. bractsubtending lowest spike equalling or longer than inflorescence 24a. perigyniawith conspicuous beak; scales .- shorter than perigynia...... C. vimmln p. 62 24b. perigyniabeakless; scales awn-tipped, longer than perigynia ...... C. buit.bz-m{i p. 63 2b. spikesolitary 25a. perigynia not spreading, roundedapex without beak ...... C. Zep?ttrZea p. 30 25b. perigyniaSpreading; beak distinct 26a. femalescales deciduous; perigynia narrow, 6-7 mm ...... C. pauc<,%ya p. 64 26b. femalescales persistent; perigynia ovate 3-3.5 mm -...... C. Aoica p. 65

39 LARGEWATER SEDGES

There arefive common species of largewater sedges in this region that have the same generalappear- ance. A71 have stoutstems, wide leaves which areseptate-nodulose, and an elongateinflorescence withcylindrical spikes. The leafybract below thelowest spike is equalto or longer than the i nf 1 orescence. They often grow insolid stands in shaJlow water orvery wet soil, forming a dense sod. Thesesedges are a common component of wetland hay; and are valuedas food for waterfowl. Characteristics whichcan be used todistinguish between thesefive species of largewater sedges are described then i 11ustrated on the fol 1 owing pages.

C. retrorsa and C. hystricina, two otherspecies of largewater sedges,occur infrequently in wet areasnear lakes and strea-ns. The distinctive features of C. rebrorsa arethe long leafybract that is more than twiceas long as the whole inflorescence, and thelarge reflexed perigynia (7-10 mm long). C. hystricina has femalespikes that are nodding on slenderpeduncles, and perigynia (5-7 mm long) that are prominently 15-20 nerved.

40 LARGE WATER SEDGES

1. Carexrostrata

plant - in clumps from stout, long, scalyrhizomes leaves - glabrous;sheaths brown yerigynia - inflated,abruptly contracted to a beak withshort teeth, strongly spreading at maturiTy comments - a very common sedge, found in mixed and purestands.

2. Carexatherodes

plant - clumpsfrom stout,long,scaly rhizomes leaves - pubescent,the short hairs visible to theunaided eye; sheath breaking, becoming filamentose perigynia - inflated, narrowingvery gradually to thebase of long teeth comments - widespread,often forming pure stands, particularly in wetlands which normally dry up in summer.

3. Carexaquatilis

plant - clumpsfrom stout,long,scaly rhizomes leaves - glabrous,glaucous green; sheath red spikes - erect, all nearlysessile perigynia - flattened,ovate comments a very common sedge, found inpure and mixed stands,often with - ., . C. rwstr>(rta. Earlyin the season, the glaucous Sreen of C. ,;<: .,;-;.:: L' and the ye1 low-green of C. rvstr,zt,; help to distinguishthese species in vege- tati ve form.

4. Carexsitchensis

plant - denselyclustered, with shortrhizomes or none leaves - glabrous,sheath red spikes - lower spikes nodding on pedunclesgreater than 3 cm long perigynia - similar to those of C. /z,?~w~Z~S; scales narrow, acute comments - occasionally found scattered among C. (~~7z+i;i,~; occurring in pure stands at higherelevations.

5. Carexexsiccata

plant - short rhizomes or none

leaves - glabrous; sheath breaking,___1_becoming filamentose perigynia - many-ribbed,gradually tapering to a long beak;reddish-tinged and not spreading at maturity comments - less common; formspure stands, particularly in wetlands that dry up in summer.

47 1 cm

10 cm

1 Carexrostrata

42 1 mm

I 10 cm 1 cm I 2 Carexatherodes

43 44 1 cm

10 cm

5 Carex exsiccata

45 Carexlasiocarpa plant - tall (up to 120 cm),slender withscaly rhizome leaves - rolled, narrow, lessthan 2 mm wide spikes - terminalspike male; female spikes 1 or 2, sessile; lower bractrolled, erect perigynia - denselypubescent, with erectteeth comments - widespreadin marshes, edgesof streams and lakes, 13 cm occasionallyoccurring in pure stands. The fine pubescence on theperigynia distinguishes this species and C. Zanuginosa from othersedges of thissize. 46 J1

Carex lanuginosa plant - tal 1 (up to 1.90 cm),slender withscaly rhizome leaves - flat, 2-5 mm wide spikes - terminalspike male; female spikes 1 or 2, sessile; lower bracts leaf1 i ke, divergent perigynia - denselypubescent, with slightlydivergent teeth comments - thisspecies is similar to C. Zasiomrm but has wider,flat leaves, and divergentbract. While both species may be observed growing inwater they are not strictlyaquatic sedges. C. lnnulinosa is widespread, found in various wet1 and habitats. 47 Carex limosa

plant - stems single or few onlong slender rhizomes, roots covered with a yellowish felt spikes - terminal male spike long, 15-27 mm; female spikes nodding; broad 6btuse scales, equalling length of perigynia comments - similar in appearance and habi tat to C. r~upcxdu,but easily distinguished by the longer male spikes, and the differently shaped scales on the female spi kes . 48 /'

.//

1 cm

Carexpaupercula

plant - looselyclustered in small tufts on a rhizome;roots covered with a yellowishfelt spikes - terminal mal e spikeshort, 4- 12 mm; femalespike noddingwith long narrow scalestapering to a long point, longer than the peri gyni a comments - widespread,in peaty wetlands,occasionally growing in largeclumps. Often found with C. Limoso, C. ~~hcz.fcr6:~naor C. tcn2lw+",orc?. 49 Carex simulata

plant - tal 1 (40-60 cm) , slender, from brown rhizome;leaves elongate;ventral strip of leaf- sheathtranslucent and nerveless spikes - closelyaggregated into a head 2-4 cm long; plant dioecious perigynia - small, 2.5 mm long, hidden by scales;very short beak comments - locally abundant in wet calcareousfens, often in dense purestands or mixed with C. diandra. C. sim-data can he confusedwith C. praepracilis, C. sartz3eZZii, C. diandra and C'. prair2ea. The presence of a brown rhizomeplus the small ovate perigyniahelp to distinguish thisspecies. 50 mm

Carexpraegracilis spikes - sessile,closely aggregated; male flowers above female or plant dioecious perigynia- 2.6-4.5 mm long,with prominent beak 0.6-1.3 mm comments - this is oneof the most common sedges inthe Cariboo Region. It is foundon moist a.lkaline soil in meadows, andoften moves intothe adjoining grasslandalong with Jxrzcus baZticus. It neverextends into the forest. c. prwegz7aciZis is anextremely variable sedge. A largepart of our popu7ationis dioecious. This is particularlyevident in the spring when the ye1low flowering male heads contrast with the white of the female spikes. The thickblack sca1.yrhizcme and the shape of the mature perigynia are useful featuresin distinguishing this species. C. cJn7~glasi.7: and C. siccata have finer,light brown rhizomes. I cm

Carex sartwellii plant - tall, 50-30 cm high,arising singly or insmall clumps from a dark brown rhizome;leaves widely separated;ventral strin of leaf- sheathwith green nerves " spikes - numerous (10-20) aggregated into a stout head 3-6 crn long; spikes with mal e flowers abo\ye female perigynia - hidden by scales, 3-4 mm long, nerved on both surfaces comments - widespread; found in marshes and fens,often in cal- careoussoils. The sheath and head have features which distinguishthis plant from similar species, C. p~~~eg~~~ilisand C. .Sil;.iuZUtLZ. 52 Carex parryana

plant - stem oftensolitary, more or 1 ess 1 eafl ess: rhi zomatous leaves - crowded nearthe base, flat and firm spikes - 3-5 1inear:cylindric spikes withthe terminal onemale or male at the bottom; theothers female; a1 1 sessile and overlapping comments - a distinctive sedge with a stiff erect stem much longer than theleaves. Infrequent, found in alkaline meadows, around lakes and inshrub-carrs.

53 Carex diandra

plant - shootsclustered, forming a loosetussock, 30-70 cm high; stems erect;leaves narrow, less than 3 mm wide sheaths - red-dottedventrally, not copper-tinged at the mouth spikes - several,closely aggregated into a densedark-brown head; male flowers at the top ofeach spike; perigynia dark, shiny, and longer than scales comments - a common sedgeof fens and marshes. C. diandra can be easily confusedwith two similarspecies, C. prairea and C. cusickii, with which it oftenoccurs. The char- actersof the sheath are useful in separatingthese three species. 54 1 cm

mm mm

Carex p,rairea Carex cusick ii plant - shoots clustered, forming plant - inlarge clumps; 63-120 cm a loosetussock 30-80 cm high; high;leaves wide 2.5-6 mm stemsarching outwards; leaves narrow, less than 3 mm sheath - red-dottedventrally, copper- tinged at the mouth, concave and sheaths - copper-tinged at the mouth, onlyslightly prolonged beyond the convex and conspicuouslyprolonged baseof blade beyond base of blade__ spikes - a compact head interrupted spikes - a compact head interrupted below;male flowers at the top of below;male flowers at the top each spike;perigynia nearly of each spike;perigynia nearly concealed by thescales concealed by thescales comments - occasionally found in wet comments - frequently found in peatyfens. The widerleaves plus wet peatyfens. The distinctive thetendency to form largeisolated sheathseparates this sedge from clumps help to separatethis sedge C. diandm and C. cusic;'

55 I

10 cm

Carex mic rop tera plant - tufted; stemsnumerous; leaves flat 2-4 mm wide spikes - several crowded into a blunt cone-shapedhead; male flowers at base of e4cl;spike perigyni a - -__ovate, wi ng-margi ned, tapering to a we1 1 defined beak comments - a widespreadsedge found along creekedges, in shrub-carrs, meadows and fens;also in the subalpine. 1. mic:rostcrg can be confusedwith C. ~:(zchy,ctr;ciz,~i;.,whichis found in morehumid areas, and with C. mncZouinn(x which is more common inthe subalpine. See Appendix 1 for a key that separates thesethree species. C. crazl)forwlii hasvery narrow perigynia (0.8-1.3 mm wide). 56 10

Carex athrostachya

~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ - plant - tufted, sternsnumerous; leaves flat 1-3 mm wide spikes - several crowded into an ovcid head 1-2 cm long; male flowers at baseof each spike; lowe,r spike bract 1 eafl- i ke, elongate perigynia - narrow, thin-edge,taDering to a long beak comments - a widespreadsedge of meadows. A less common sDecies, C. s;,'-;:i:~cer,h7Za will key out here but c:an be distinguished by theseveral long foliaceousbracts. e. cthrostachya and C. sychnocephnZa both appearafter disturbance in a wetland. Uncommon s?ecies C. hebbii and C. tmmz lackthe elongate bract, and have wider perigynia which taper to an ill-definedbeak. 57 10 cm 1 cm

Carex canescens - plant - denselytufted, often forming large clumps; stems erect 1?-50 cm high spikes - 5-6 small spikes,the lowerones separated; male flowers at base of each spike perigynia - 15-30 perspike, ascending, minutely rough-textured comments - a common sedge of fens and marshes,widely distributed but seldomfound inpure stands. C. eanescens can be confusedwith C. brunnescens. The larger number of flowersper spike plus the open habitathelp to distinguish C. canescens. Uncommon species C. arctcx and C. heZeonastes may key out here. Both have a more congestedinflorescence than C. cnnescens. C. heZeonastes has only 3-4 spikes Der stem,while C. nrctn has more than 10.

58 10 crn

Carex chordorrhiza plant - low; 10-30 cm withalmost leafless erectstems; a few shortleaves at base; branchingstems liehorizontally just 1_ under the moss surface spikes - 2-4 closelyaggregated, few- flowered spi kes form a smal 1 ovoid head comments - widespreadin fens and bogs. A distinctivesedge because of its growth habit ofcreeping decumbent shoots. It is often found w.i th C. Zimosa and C. paupercula.

59 1 cm

Carex tenuiflora

plant - stems filiform,arching over, 20-3'2 cm long; leaves 1 mm wide equallinglength of stem spikes - 3 closely bunched at thetip of thestem; mal e flowers at the base of each spike perigynia - ascending el 1 iptic in outline;beakless, pale green with russetnerves comments - fairly common infens and bogs, and occasionallyin boggy forest.This sedge can be easily recognized by its 3 spikes at the L tip. 60 j 10 cm

Carex aurea plant - stemsslender, arising singly or in small clumps from creeping rhizome spikes - terminal male spikeerect; lateral spikes female sometimes with elongate peduncles ; el onga te 1 eal'l i ke bract perigynia - spongy,beakless, prominently ribbed and turning gold when mature, scaleswidely spreading comments - a distinctive and rather common sedge of meadows, fens and shrub-carrs C. ga~beriis a closelyrelated species which appears to he similarin every respectexcept for the perigynia remaining white at maturity.

61 1 cm

J \(i

Carex viridula Carex interior plant - smallclumps; leaves equal1 ing plant - tufted;leaves slender, shor- orlonger than stems ter than thewiry, erect stems spikes - terminalspike male; 2 to 4 spikes - 2 to 5, small and few- femalespikes with long fol iaceous flowered;terminal spike with male bracts base perigynia - yellowish-green, with perigynia - widelyspreading at prominentnerves; spreading or maturity,prominently beaked ref 1 exed comments - widespreadin bogs and fens. comments - infrequent;fens and meadows, The spreadingperigynia give the oftenin calcareous soil. Not likely inflorescence a distinctive star- to be confused with any othersedge. likeappearance. A similarspecies, C. angustior, has abeak more than half thelength of theperigynium. C. interior has a beak less than one-thi rd thelength of theperigynium.

62 Carexbuxbaumii plant - few, erect,slender stems 25-100 cm tall;slender creeping rhizomes spikes - 3 to 5; terminalspike always with short male part at base;lowermost spike remote axsubten'ded by a leafybract about as long asthe inflorescence

perigynia - pale green; Iscales awned, purplish black with pale midrib comments - infrequent;shrub-carrs and fens; a well-marked and distinctivesedge

63 1 cm

10 cm

Carex pauciflora plant - stems up to 40 cm tall, arising singly or few together fromvery slender rhizomes spike - solitary, bractless, with a few male flowers at the top perigynia - few, 6-8 mm long, soon becoming reflexed; both scales and perigynia deciduous at maturity comments - infrequent; bogs and fens. Closely resembles C. microgZochin, a small filiform species with shorter perigynia 3-5 mm, from which a stiff, bristle-like rachilla projects. 64 1 cm

10 cm

Carexdioica ssp. gynocrates

~~ ~~ plant - stems 5-20 cm tall, arisingsingly from long, veryslender rhizomes; 1 eaves narrow and stiff spike - solitary, withmale flowers at the top orspikes dioecious perigynia - plump, klrown and somewhat shiny, becoming widelyspreading at maturity comments - widespreadin bogs, fens and moss-coveredopenings in theforest. This smallsedge isquite distinctive.

65 Subalpine and Alpine Sedges

Section 5

67 SUBALPINE and ALPINE SEDGES

Subalpineand Alpine:

Open andforested are13s above 1,250 metreseast of highway 97 andabove 1,500 metreswest of highway 97 comprisingthe Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir (ESSF)'and AlpineTundra (AT) biogeoclimatic zones.

Several of thefollowing species have been nreviously listed in other sections;they also occur in their respective habitats within the' subalpine.Those species that occur only within the subalpine or alpine areasare marked with an asterisk (*).

Common Species: Less Common Species:

Carexaenea Fern. *Carex atrosquama Mack. *C. a Zbonigra Mack. C. aurea Nutt . C. aquati lis Wahl . *c. bipar-tita A1 1 ioni C. brunnescens (Per". ) Poi r . (=- C. Zachenalii Schk. ) C. canescens L. *C. breweri Boo tt C. capiZZaris L. C. deflexa Horn. C. capitczta L. C. fZava L. C. coneinnoides Mack. *C. hoodii Boot t C. dioica L. SSP. gynocrates ( Wormsk.) Hul t . *c. ilZotn Railey C. disperrna Dewey C. microptera "lack. C. interior Bai 1 ey C. obtusata Lilj. C. Zenticularis Mi chx. *C. praeceptorum Yack . C. Zeptalea Wahl . *C. proposi tcx ?lack. c. lirnosa L . C. rnacloviana D'Urv. C. rnertensii Prescott *C. nardina Fries *C. nigrican:; Meyer C. norvegica Retz . (= C. medig R. Br. ) C. paupercu la Mi c hx . *C. phaeoeephaza PiDer *C. pyrenaica Wah 1 . C. rossii Boott C. rostrata Stokes C. saxatilis L. (= C. physocarpa Pres]) *C. scirpoidm Mi chx. C. sitchensis Prescott *C. spectabiZis Dewey C. tenuiflora Nahl .

69 SUBALPINEAND ALPINE

Key : la.spike solitary 2a. perigyniapubescent...... c. srirwoidea P. 76 2b. perigyni a g.labrous 3a. plant rhizomatous;leaves various 4a. leaves and rhizome more than 1.5 mni wide;perigynia oecoming ref1 ?xed...... C. nigricnns P . 78 4b. leaves and rhizome less than 1 mm wide 5a.perigynia becoming spreading or reflexeu; beaK distinct ...... C. dioica p. 65 5b. perigyniaremaining appressed; apex rounded witnout beak ...... C. leptalea p. 30 3b. plant tufted;leaves narrow .5-1.5 mm wiae 6a. perigynia becoming spreading or reflexed;scales deciduous...... C. pgrena?:ca p. 81 6b. perigyniaremaining appressed; scales persistent 7a. plants 10-35 cm tall;perigynia broadly ovate ...... C. capitata p . 7 9 7b. plants short, 2-15 cin; perigyniaelliptic ...... C. nardina p . 81 lb. spike more than one 8a.perigynia pubescent 9a. spikesall borne close together toward the end ofstem, none basal...... C. coneinnoides p. 21 9b. some spikesarising frombase of stem, widely separated .. from terminalspikes ...... C. TOSSZZ p. 18 8b. perigynia glabrous loa.spikes sessile or withvery short, stiff peduncles lla.spikes congested into a nead-likeinflorescence 12a. spikescylindrical; male flowersat base ofterminal spikeonly; scales black 13a. perigyniadark like the scales; leaves snort and wide, 2-7 mm...... C. alhonigrv p. 77 13b. perigyniagreen when young,bronze when ripe; leavesnarrow, 1-3 mm...... ,c. noruegiea p. 27 12b. spikesnot cylindrical; spikes all alike;scales brown or silver 14a. perigyniaflattened, beaked; scales brown 15a. leaves narrow and firm,less than 2 mm; perigyniaslender ...... C. phaeocephaza p. 80 15b. leaveswider, 2-4 mm; perigynia broad ...... C. macloviana p. 56 14b. perigyniainflated, beakless; scales silver ...... C. tenui”ora p. 60 11b. spikesseparated 16a. spikesvery small, less than 5 trim long; 1-3perigynia perspike ...... c. disperma p. 29

70 16b. spikes 1 arger than 5 mm 1 ong; more than 3 peri gyni a per spike 17a. perigyniaflattened; 1 arge f lexuous head ...... C. genpg p. 33

17b.. perilJynia not flattened 18a.perigynia widely spreading at maturity ...... C. inkerim p. 62 l8b.perigynia remaining appressed 19a.spikes small, few flowered (5-lo), perigynia beaked ...... C. hr-un~wscens p. 31 19b. spikeslarger, more numerous flowered (l5-30),perigynia beakless...... C. con~smns p. jtj lob. spikes not sessile;elongate and cylindrical 20a. terminalspike with male flowers at base only; 6-10 drooping spikes ...... ,C. mertensii p. 73 2Ob. terminalspike completely male 2la. spikes smal I, less than 3 mm wide,.5-15 mm long, Inodding on filiformpeduncles ...... C. ~api7yZaris p. 26 21b. spikeslarger 22a.lower bractshorter than inflorescence 23a. planttufted on shortscaly rnizome; perigynia f lattened,reddish blotched...... C. spectabilis p. 72

23b. stemsarising singly from long creepingrhizoine; perigynia SOmeWhdt compressed,greeni sn ...... C. limosa p . 48 22b. lowerbract longer tnan inflorescence 24a. plants tufted;spikes slencler, less tnan 5 inm thick, all erect and overlappingone another ...... C. Zenticularis p . 75 24b. plants rhizomatous;spikes more or less nodd i ng 25a. terrninalmale spiKe short, less tnan 12 tnrn long; scalestapering to a long narrow point...... C. paupercula p. 49

25b. terminalmale spike longer than 12 nim 26a. perigyniaflattened, smaJ1, less than 3 rnln 27a. lowerspiKe nodding on peduncle greater tnan 3 crn...... C. si,J,r4er:s<:-p. 44 27b. lower spikesessi le or withshort peduncle...... C. aountnlis p. 44 26b. perigyniainflated, longer than'3 rnin 28a.leaves wide 4-12 mm; spikesreddisn- brown ...... C. rostrata p. 42 28b. ledves ndrrow 2-4 nm; spikes darK ...... c. sazatiZis p . 74

71 Carex spectabilis

plant - 20-90 cm tall,tufted; leaves on lower half of stem SDikes - terminalspike male; 2-4 separatedfemale spikes, more or 1 ess noddi ng 1 cm perigynia - oblong-ovate,flattened, reddish-blotched;scales dark, with conspicuous,stout, pale midrib, which maybe extended as an awn tip comments - widespreadin the subalpine parkland, occasionallyoccurring abovetimber1 ine. Grazed by livestock.

72 1 rnrn

Carex rnertensii plant - 40-120 cm tall,stout, clustered from shortrhizome; leaveslarge, elongate, from lower half of stem spikes - 6-10, drooping on slender peduncles, near together; male flowers at base of mos t spi kes perigynia - broadlyovate, flattened;scale acute, dark with lightermidrib, much smaller than perigynia comments - common inthe subalpine parkland,occurring down to 700 m inthe wet forest. Grazed by livestock.

73 rnm

Carexsaxatilis

plant - 20-80 cm tall, slender," stems arisingsingly or few together from creePi nq rhizomes spikes - 2-4; upper spikemale; lower spikesfemale, thick and dark. widelyseparated. more or 1 ess 'nodding perigynia - elliptic-ovate, contracted to a short beak; stigmas two; scales dark, smaller than perigynia comments - occasionalin fens in the subalpine, and on margins of mountain streams and lakes.

74 I

Carexlenticularis

plant - 20-80 cm tall,densely tufted spikes - 3-6 elongateerect spikes; upperspike male, lower spikes female;or upper spike Partly female perigynia - ovate,ribbed; perigynia green with dark scales comments - occasionalin the subalpine parklands and inopenings in the wet forest at lower elevations. The terminal male spikeplus the erectfemale spikes help to distinguishthis sedge.

75 1 mm

Carex scirpoidea plant - 10-40 cm high,stems stiff, one or few together from short rhizome spike - solitary,erect; male and femalespikes on separateplants perigynia - "short, hairy; stigmas3 comments - found in thealpine and open sitesin the upper subalpine. The single unisexual spike makes this a distinctivesedge not easily confusedwith any other.

76 13 cm

Carex albonigra plant - 10-30 cm high,loosely tufted; leaves flat, firm and rathershort spike - 2-4 blackspikes closely aggregated into a head1 i ke inflorescence;terminal spike with male flowers at base perigynia - flattened, blackish-purple; -scales .~ dark with~__ -pale mag"=, about equal 1 ing perigynia comments - common on open,dry, rocky slopes in the alpine and uppersubalpine. The erectblack spikes distinguish this sedge from others found at high el eva tions . 77 78 I t 1

Carex capitata plant - 10-35 cm high, tufted on a short rhizome;stems slender; leavesless than 1 mm wide spike - solitary, male flowers at

Atop, femalebelow perigynia - ovate, flat; scales broadly ovate comments - occurs on dryexposed sitesin the alpine, open meadows and shrub-carrs in the subalpine, and alsoin shrub- carrs at lower elevations in thewestern Chilcotin. The flatovate perigynia and the conspicuousmale flowers at the top of thespike help to distinguishthis sedge from others with a solitaryspike. C. hre:u’~~’i,an uncOmmon alpi r-le sPecies, is somewhat similar except For having a larger perigyni um (greater than 4 mm 1 ong) .

79 Carex phaeo cephala

ant - 10-30 cm high, densely tufted; 1 eaves s tiff, clustered nearthe base spikes - -3-7, straw-coloured, aggregatedinto a stiff head peri gynia - ob1 ong-ovate, wi ng- margined,flattened; scales reddishbrown, covering perigynia comments - a fair1.y common alpinespecies; often found onopen scree slopes. A less common species, C. propositn is verysimilar in appear- ancebut has a moreflexuous headand wider perigynia (2.5 - 3 mm wide). C. bipmtita, C. pwaceptorum, and C. iZZotn, wouldall key outhere, but differ in having smaller(less than 3.4 mm), inflatedperigynia. c. bipcn-tita hasfewer spikes (2-4) than C. praecec'Trm (4-6); C. iZZota has reflexed peri gynia.

80 10 cm

Carex nardina

plant - dwarf, up to 15 cm high, tufted;leaves fine, stiff, and wirelike;old leaf bases conspicuous spike - solitary,inconspicuous male flowers at too,female f 1 owers bel ow perigynia - elliptic,tapering at bothends; well developed rachilla more than halfas long asachene; scales straw-coloured, wider than perigynia comments - usually found only on dryrocky ridges and slopes abovetimber1 i ne. C. pyrenaica, another dwarf tuftedsedge, is verysimilar in appearance. The absenceof a rachillaplus Carexpyrenaica narrowerperigynia help to distinguish C. pyrenaica.

81 Appendix 1

Key to thespecies of the Carex macLouiana aggreaate *

Distance from top of achene to perigynium tip one half or lessthe total length of theperigynium; perigynia reddish to dark coppery-brown.

Scalemargins, perigynia tips, and dorsalsuture margins noticeablywhite hyaline; perigynia wings darkened, contrasting with the bod,y of the perigynia ...... C. mac2oviann

Scalemargins zind perigyniatips not differentiated or narrow hyalinemargined; perigynia wings concolorous withthe body of theperigynia, wings at most dark edged ...... C. puahystachya Distance from tolp ofachene to perigyn ium tip one halfor more the total length of theperigynium; perigynia stramineous or light green to dark brown ...... C. nlicropteru

* Whitkus, R. 1951. A taxonomic Investigation of the Carex macloviana D'Urv. aggregatein Western Canada and Alaska. N.Sc. thesis, University of Alberta.

83 ILLUSTRATED GLOSSARY

INFLORESCENCE

mal e f 1 owers

ferllaleflowe rs

sca a1 malespike

spike wact

bract 'rs spike

Multiple Spikes ( sessile ) MultipleSpikes (nodding ) PERIGY'NIA LEAF SHEATH

septate-nodulose i gma ,/ teet beak tri angul a pubescence af bl ade

nerves

ir GROWTH HABITS

/ GLOSSARY

Achene: A small, dry and hard, one-celled, one-seeded, indehiscent fruit. Anther: The part of the stamen which bears the pollen. Appressed: Pressed flat against another organ. Awn: Slender, generally terminal bristle. Beak: A prolonged, more or less slender tip. Bidentate: Having two teeth. Blade: The expanded part of leaf. Bog1: A wetland comprised of in-site accumulations of poorly to moderately decomposed Sphagnum-derivedpeats. Bract: A specialized leaf from the axil of which a spike arises. Capsule: A dry, dehiscent fruit composed of more than 1 carpel. Concolorous: Of uniform color. Deciduous: Falling after completion of the normal function. Decumbent: With a prostrate or curved base and an erect or ascending tip. Dehiscent: Opening at maturity. Dioecious: Producing male and female flowers on separateplants. Elliptic: With approximately the shape of a geometrical ellipse. Fen]: A wetland comprised of in-situ accumulations of well to poorly decomposed non-Sphagnic peats. Filamentose: Composed of, or breaking up into, threads. Filament: The stalk of a stamen. Filiform: Very slender, threadlike. Flexuous:Zigzag. Foliaceous: Leafy in texture. Glabrous: Smooth, without hairs or glands. Globose: More or less spherical. Hyaline: Thin and transparent or translucent. Indehiscent: Remaining closed at maturity. Inflorescence: A flower cluster of a plant, or the arrangement of the flowers on the axis. 1 Marsh : A wetland that is permanently or seasonally inundated and that supports an extensive cover of emergent, non-woody vegetation rooting in mineral-rich substrate.

86 Meadowl: An herbac:eous wetland developed on mineral materials that are periodically saturated but rarely inundated. Nerve: A prominent: longi.tudina1 vein of a leaf or other organ. Nodose:Knobby. Nodulose: Diminutive of rlodose. Obtuse: Blunt or rounded at the end. Ovate: Egg shaped in outline. Papillate: Covered with short rounded projections. Peduncle: The stalk of a spike. Perianth: The sepals and petals (or tepals) of a flower, collectively. Perigynium: The inflated, saclike organ surrounding the ovary or achene in Cmex. Persistent: Remaining attarhed after the normal function has been completed. Pubescent: Bearing hairs of any sort. Rachilla: A small axis of an inflorescence. Ref 1 exed : Bent backward. Rhizomatous: Bearing rhizomes. Rhizome: A creeping underground stem. Scabrous: Rough to the touch. Scale: Any small, thin or flat structure. Septate: Provided with partitions. Sessile: Attached directly by the base, without a stalk. Sheath: The tubular basal part of a leaf that encloses the stem. Shrub-Carrl: A low shrub dominated wetland developed on mineral materials that are periodically saturatedbut rarely inundated. Spike: A simple inflorescence with the flowers sessile or nearlyso on a more or less elongated rachis. Stamen: The male organ of a flower, consisting of anther and a filament. Staminate Flower: One with 1 or more stamens, but no pistil. Stigma: The part of the pistil which is receptive to pollen. Stramineous:Straw-colored. Tepal: A sepal or petal, or member of an undifferentiated perianth. Wing: A thin, flat extension from the side ofa perigynium.

Rgnka and Lewis, 1981

87 BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following references havebeen used in compiling this field guide:

Hermann, F.J., 1970. Manual of the Carices of the Rocky Mountainsand Colorado Basin. Agriculture Handbook No. 374, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, forest Service, Wash. D.C.

Hitchcock, C.L., et al,. 1969. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 1 University of Washington Press, Seattle.

Hudson, J.H., 1977. Carex in Saskatchewan. Bison Publishing House, Saskatoon.

Hulten, E., 1968. Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.

Mackenzie, K.K., 1940. North American Cariceae. 2 Vols. New York Botanical Garden, New York.

Porsild, A.E., and W.J. Cody, 1980. Vascular plants of Continental Northwest Territories, Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa.

Runka, G.G., and T. Lewis, 1981. Preliminary Wetland Managers Manual: Cariboo Resource Management Region. 1st Edition. APD Technical Paper 5, Ministry of Environment, Victoria.

Scoggan, H.J., 1978. The Flora of Canada, Part 2. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa.

Taylor, R.L. and B. MacBryde, 1977. Vascular Plants of British Columbia. Tech. Bulletin No. 4, University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver.

Whitkus, R., 1981. A Taxonomic Investigation of the Carex maclovinna D'Urv. aggregate in Western Canada and Alaska. M.Sc. thesis, University of Alberta.

88 INDEX

Species which are illustrated are in gothic type. Those which are uncommon are in italic. Synon.yms are also in italic.

Carex Page Carex Page aenea 33 1 imosa 48 albonigra 77 lo1 iacea 29 cngus tior 37,62 macZoviana 56,69 aquati 1 is 41,44 media 25 urcta 37,58 mertens i i 73 atherodes 41,43 microg Zochin 37,64 athrostachya 57 microptera 56 atrosquma 27,69 nardina 81 aurea 61 nigricans 78 bebbii 37,57 norvegica 27 bipartita 69,80 obtusata 8 breweri 69,79 oederi 37 brunnescens 31 pachystnchya 25,56 buxbaumi i 63 parryana 53 canescens 58 pauciflora 64 capillaris 26 paupercul a 49 capitata 79 peck i i 19 chordorrhiza 59 pet asat a 10 conc i nna 17 phaeocephala 80 concinnoides 21 physnccxrpn 69 CFX!~~~:vdii 37,56 prnpceptorum 69,80 cusibki i 55 praegracilis 51 c!i?fZP.xa 15, 18, 69 prairea 55 deweyana 32 prat icol a 11 di andra 54 proposi tn 69,80 dioica pyrenaica 81 ssp. gynocrates 65 wtrorsn 37,40 d i sperma 28,29 richardsonii 20 doug ha?:?: 7,51 rossi i 18 eleocharis 9 rostrata 41,42 exsiccata 41, 45 sartwellii 52 f lova 37, ti9 saxati 1 is 74 .foen~n 15 snzimontann 15, 18 qnrberi 37, 61 scirpoidea 76 heleonnstes 37,58 siccata 16 hoodii 69 simulata 59 hystricincx 37,40 sitchensis 41, 44 ?:l,lota 69, ao spectabilis 72 interior 62 sprmq;e Zii 15, 26 Znchc?nnlii 69 stmophglln 7 Za~viculmis 25,31 stipnta 37, 55 lanuginosa 47 sgchnocaphn ln 37, 57 lasiocarpa 46 i;enPrn 37, 57 lenticularis 75 tenuiflora 60 Zcporina 37 tr?:.spPrrnm 25,29 1 ept a1 ea 30 7,csicixrin 37 viridula 62