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Montana Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Hoary Sedge - Carex canescens

Native Species

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S4S5
C-value: 8


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

External Links






 
General Description
Caespitose. Stems erect, 10–40 cm. Leaves basal and cauline blades 1–3 mm wide. Inflorescence of 4 to 8 sessile, overlapping to clustered spikes; lowest bract short. Spikes 4–9 mm long, all similar, female flowers above, male below. Perigynia ascending, pale green to light tan, ovate, 2–3 mm long with an indistinct, serrulate beak <0.5 mm long; stigmas 2. Female scales ovate, whitish to green with a green midvein, nearly as long and wide as the perigynia. Achene 2-sided, filling the perigynium (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Our plants are subspecies canescens.

Species Range
Montana Range Range Descriptions

Native
 


Range Comments
Circumboreal south to CA, AZ, NM, IN and SC (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 187

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Wet, usually organic soil of meadows, marshes, fens; montane, lower subalpine (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Stewardship Responsibility

References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Jones, W. W. 1901. Preliminary flora of Gallatin County. M.S. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State College. 78 pp.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
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Citation for data on this website:
Hoary Sedge — Carex canescens.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from