Carex scopulorum var. bracteosa
Leafl. W. Bot. 9: 16. 1959.
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Carex vulgaris var. bracteosa L. H. Bailey Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 1887
Synonyms: Carex brachypoda T. Holm Carex campylocarpa T. Holm Carex campylocarpa subsp. affinis Maguire & A. H. Holmgren Carex gymnoclada
Culms 11–65 cm, scabrous on angles. Leaves: proximal sheaths red-brown, fronts with pale brown spots, veinless, with blades, glabrous, backs scabrous; blades 3–6 mm wide. Perigynia ellipsoid to obovoid, apex obtuse or rounded. 2n = 72–80.
Phenology: Fruiting Aug–Sep.
Habitat: Wet subalpine and alpine meadows
Elevation: 1200–3000 m
Distribution
Alta., B.C., Yukon, Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.
Discussion
A common sedge of the central Rocky Mountains, Carex scopulorum var. bracteosa is distinguished from var. scopulorum by the scabrous stems and sheaths and by the narrower, more ellipsoid perigynia. It is usually distinguishable from var. prionophylla by the absence of bladeless, ladder-fibrillose sheaths; the two taxa may be difficult to identify in areas where both occur.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
None.