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Holm's Rocky Mountain Sedge - Carex scopulorum
Native Species
Global Rank:
G5
State Rank:
S4
(see State Rank Reason below)
C-value:
8
Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
DRAFT: Requesting feedback on the 2026 revised rank, factors, and State Rank Reason outlined below and in the Conservation Status Rank Report.
Carex scopulorum is widespread and relatively common across higher elevation mountain ranges in southwest and southcentral Montana. Occurrences are often in relatively remote areas, which limits the potential for negative impacts. No significant and widespread threats to the species are known besides potential impacts associated with climate change. Population levels are poorly documented, though are believed to be fairly robust, and trends are unknown though populations have likely been relatively stable in the recent past or experienced only minor declines.
General Description
Rhizomatous. Stems erect, 8–70 cm. Leaves basal and/or cauline; blades 2–6 mm wide. Inflorescence of 3 to 5 overlapping spikes; the lowest bract shorter than the inflorescence. Spikes ascending to erect; the uppermost male; the lower female, subsessile to short-pedunculate, 8–25 mm long, cylindric. Perigynia erect, green to tan, brown above, lanceolate to suborbicular, veinless, glabrous, papillose, 2–3 mm long with a minute beak. Female scales acute to rounded, almost completely blackish, narrower and subequal to the perigynia. Achene 2-sided, smaller than the perigynium (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Our plants are varieties
bracteosa (L.H. Bailey) F.J. Herm. and
prionophylla (T.
Holm) L.A. Standl.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
YT south to CA, UT and CO (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 213
(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
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Wetland and Riparian
Alpine Riparian and Wetland
Peatland
Wet Meadow and Marsh
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?- 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.
- Web Search Engines for Articles on "Holm's Rocky Mountain Sedge"
