Field Guide to Sedge Species of the Rocky Mountain Region
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Field guide to sedge species of the Rocky Mountain Region United States Renewable Forest Service Department of Resources Denver, Agriculture R2-RR-01-03 Colorado Johnston, Barry C. 2001. Field guide to sedge species of the Rocky Mountain Region: The genus Carex in Colorado, Wyoming, western South Dakota, western Nebraska, and western Kansas. Renewable Resources R2-RR-01-03. Denver, CO: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. 290 pp. This guide describes all the 131 species of Carex known to occur in Wyoming, Colorado, and western portions of Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. A dichotomous key is provided for identification in the field. Each species is described, with diagrams of the plant, head, pistillate scale, and perigynium. A distribution map appears for each species, as well as a table of characteristics and index. Carex comosa (longhair sedge), a large, broad-leaf sedge of plains wetlands and sloughs. “Reprinted with permission from North American Cariceae by Kenneth K. Mackenzie, illustrations by Harry C. Creutzburg, copyright, 1940. The New York Botanical Garden Press.” The policy of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, or disability, familial status, or political affiliation. Persons believing they have been discriminated against in any Forest Service related activity should write to: Chief, Forest Service, USDA, P. O. Box 96090, Washington, DC 20090-6090. Cover: Carex utriculata (beaked sedge) in a typical habitat. On slightly drier microsites around this one, there are also Carex lanuginosa (woolly sedge) and Carex aquatilis (water sedge). Field guide to sedge species of the Rocky Mountain Region The genus Carex in Colorado, Wyoming, western South Dakota, western Nebraska, and western Kansas Barry C. Johnston Publication R2-RR-01-03 Carex douglasii, a rhizomatous, dry-site sedge, often dioecious. From Hermann, Frederick J. 1970. Manual of the Carices of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Basin. Agriculture Handbook No. 374, 397 pp. Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region Renewable Resources Denver, Colorado May, 2001 Acknowledgements Miriam Colson Fritts and Harold C. Fritts graciously allowed use of their data base of Carex species of western United States. The curators and assistants at several herbaria were most helpful in allowing access to their collections, and providing advice on a wide variety of topics. Many thanks to Ronald Hartman and B. Ernie Nelson of the Rocky Mountain Herbarium (RM), University of Wyoming, Laramie; Tom Ranker, Tim Hogan, and Nan Lederer of the University of Colorado Herbarium (COLO), Boulder; Robin Bingham, John Sowell, and Keith Longpre of the Western State College Herbarium, Gunnison, Colorado. I also made use of the Forest Service Herbarium (DENF), Gunnison, Colorado. Robert Dorn took much time to make extensive comments on the draft; thanks, Bob, they are much appreciated! Sherel Goodrich made many useful suggestions, especially updates for Utah sedges. Mering Hurd, Bill Weber, and Tim Hogan gave useful comments and encouragement. In spite of all these good people, the errors and misconceptions in this guide are all mine. Many thanks to Carole Young, Director of the New York Botanical Garden Press, for permission to use line drawings. These, as they appear throughout the guide, are “reprinted with permission from North American Cariceae by Kenneth K. Mackenzie, illustrations by Harry C. Creutzburg, copyright, 1940. The New York Botanical Garden Press.” Andrew Kratz and Steve Marquardt were constant encouragements toward completion of this project. Specially I must thank David Wheeler for starting this project and keeping it going all along. David has been patient and understanding way beyond what I thought were human capabilities during these “interesting” times. Thanks, Dave! Erschallet, ihr Himmel, erfreue dich, Erde, Lobsinge dem Höchsten, du glaubende Schar! – J. S. Bach, Cantata 134 (1724) ii Contents Chapter Page 1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 2 Terminology and Glossary........................................................................4 3 Key to the species of Carex of the Rocky Mountain Region...................11 4 Descriptions of Carex species of the Rocky Mountain Region ............ 60 1. Carex aenea....................... bronze sedge..................................................... 63 2. Carex aggregata............... glomerate sedge ............................................... 64 3. Carex albo-nigra .............. blackhead sedge ............................................... 65 4. Carex alopecoidea ............ foxtail sedge ......................................................67 5. Carex amphibola .............. eastern narrowleaf sedge ................................. 68 6. Carex angustior................ prickley sedge................................................... 69 7. Carex aquatilis.................. water sedge....................................................... 70 8. Carex arapahoensis.......... Arapaho sedge...................................................72 9. Carex atherodes................ slough sedge......................................................73 10. Carex athrostachya ........ slenderbeak sedge.............................................74 11. Carex atrata .................... black sedge ........................................................75 12. Carex atrosquama .......... blackened sedge ................................................77 13. Carex aurea..................... golden sedge..................................................... 78 14. Carex backii..................... Back's sedge ......................................................79 15. Carex bebbii..................... Bebb's sedge ..................................................... 80 16. Carex bella....................... beautiful sedge ..................................................81 17. Carex bicknellii................ Bicknell's sedge ................................................ 82 18. Carex blanda................... eastern woodland sedge................................... 83 19. Carex brevior .................. fescue sedge...................................................... 84 20. Carex brunnescens ......... brownish sedge ................................................ 85 21. Carex buxbaumii............. Buxbaum's sedge.............................................. 86 22. Carex canescens.............. pale sedge......................................................... 87 23. Carex capillaris .............. hair sedge ......................................................... 89 24. Carex capitata ................ capitate sedge....................................................91 25. Carex comosa.................. longhair sedge .................................................. 92 26. Carex concinna ............... low northern sedge .......................................... 93 27. Carex crandallii .............. Pyrenees sedge ................................................. 94 28. Carex crawei................... Crawe's sedge ................................................... 95 29. Carex cristatella ............. crested sedge .................................................... 96 30. Carex cusickii.................. Cusick's sedge....................................................97 31. Carex deweyana ............. Dewey sedge..................................................... 98 32. Carex diandra................. lesser panicled sedge........................................ 99 33. Carex dioica .................... northern bog sedge ........................................ 100 34. Carex disperma .............. soft leaved sedge ............................................. 101 35. Carex douglasii............... Douglas sedge .................................................103 36. Carex ebenea................... ebony sedge.....................................................104 37. Carex eburnea................. bristleleaf sedge ..............................................106 38. Carex egglestonii ............ Eggleston sedge...............................................107 39. Carex elynoides............... Kobresia-like sedge........................................ 108 40. Carex emoryi .................. Emory's sedge ................................................. 110 41. Carex engelmannii.......... Engelmann's sedge...........................................111 42. Carex exsiccata............... western inflated sedge .................................... 112 43. Carex filifolia .................. threadleaf sedge .............................................. 113 44. Carex foenea ................... silvertop sedge ................................................ 114 45. Carex geophila................ dryland sedge .................................................. 115 46. Carex geyeri.................... elk sedge.......................................................... 117 47. Carex granularis ............ limestone meadow sedge ................................ 118 48. Carex gravida................. heavy sedge ..................................................... 119 49. Carex haydeniana .......... cloud sedge......................................................120 iii 50. Carex hepburnii