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cute sedge

narrow-leaved sedge

Habit Plants rhizomatous, shoots arising singly or in clumps, 5.5–20 cm tall; plant bases reddish brown. Plants rhizomatous with deep rhizomes; forming large stands; culms 30–110 cm; plant bases reddish brown or purplish black.
Leaves

sheath fronts membranous;

blades 1–3.1 mm wide.

leaf sheath fronts ladder-fibrillose;

blades 4–7 mm wide; somewhat glaucous.

Inflorescences

basal spikes absent; lowest bract sheath inflated, 2–5 mm long;

blade absent or less than 2 cm long, purpletinged;

lateral spikes 2–3, crowded near the terminal spike, 0.4–0.7 × 0.2–0.4 mm; terminal spike male; tiny, 0.3–0.7 cm × 1.1–1.5 mm.

lowest bract subequal to the inflorescence;

lateral 3–4 spikes female; erect, 2.5–7 cm × 3–5 mm; terminal 1–2 spikes male.

Perigynia

elliptic, 2.3–3.3(3.5) × 1.1–1.4 mm, pubescent with crinkled hairs; veinless but with 2 ribs, bases succulent, withering when dry;

beak 0.3–0.4 mm long;

stigmas 3.

elliptic to obovate, 2.2–3 mm long, pale brown with reddish spots, with 1–3 thin but distinct veins at maturity, with sloping “shoulders”;

beak 0.2–0.5 mm, not bidentate;

stigmas 2.

Achenes

rounded to trigonous.

lenticular.

Male scales

dark reddish brown with whitish margins.

Female scales

smaller than the perigynia; reddish brown; ovate;

apex obtuse, minutely ciliate.

mostly equal to or longer than the perigynia; reddish brown or black.

Anthers

1.3–1.4 mm long.

2n

=54.

Carex concinna

Carex angustata

Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Stream banks, bogs, meadows, and open forests, on stable, usually calcareous substrates that are wet in spring but may dry out later. 1600–2500 m. BW. North to AK, east to Newfoundland. Native.

Carex concinna is recognized by its hairy perigynia, tiny staminate spike, and absent or tiny inflorescence bract. It lacks basal spikes among the leaf bases.

Wet meadows and streamsides in mountains. 300–1800 m. Casc, ECas, Lava. CA, ID, WA. Native.

Three easily confused, glaucous-leaved, rhizomatous sedges are common east of the Cascades, and the perigynium veins that distinguish them may not develop until perigynia are fully mature, perhaps in August. Carex angustata has one to three weak veins on each perigynia face, C. nebrascensis has five or more strong veins, and C. aquatilis lacks veins. In addition, Carex aquatilis perigynium “shoulders” are rounder and C. nebrascensis perigynia have distinct beak teeth.

Source Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 195
Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting
Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 188
Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting
Sibling taxa
C. abrupta, C. agastachys, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. aperta, C. aquatilis, C. arcta, C. arenaria, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. barbarae, C. bebbii, C. bolanderi, C. brainerdii, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. buchananii, C. buxbaumii, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. chordorrhiza, C. comans, C. comosa, C. concinnoides, C. cordillerana, C. crawfordii, C. cusickii, C. davyi, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. diandra, C. disperma, C. distans, C. douglasii, C. duriuscula, C. echinata, C. exsiccata, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. fissuricola, C. fracta, C. geyeri, C. gynocrates, C. gynodynama, C. halliana, C. harfordii, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. hirsutella, C. hirta, C. hoodii, C. hystericina, C. idahoa, C. illota, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. jonesii, C. kelloggii, C. klamathensis, C. kobomugi, C. laeviculmis, C. lasiocarpa, C. leporina, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. longii, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. media, C. mendocinensis, C. mertensii, C. mesochorea, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. multicaulis, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. nervina, C. neurophora, C. nigricans, C. nudata, C. obnupta, C. pachycarpa, C. pachystachya, C. pansa, C. paysonis, C. pellita, C. pelocarpa, C. pendula, C. petasata, C. phaeocephala, C. pluriflora, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. pumila, C. raynoldsii, C. retrorsa, C. rossii, C. saxatilis, C. scabriuscula, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. serpenticola, C. serratodens, C. sheldonii, C. simulata, C. spectabilis, C. stipata, C. straminiformis, C. subbracteata, C. subfusca, C. subnigricans, C. sychnocephala, C. tahoensis, C. tiogana, C. tribuloides, C. tumulicola, C. unilateralis, C. utriculata, C. vallicola, C. vernacula, C. vesicaria, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. whitneyi, C. zikae
C. abrupta, C. agastachys, C. amplifolia, C. aperta, C. aquatilis, C. arcta, C. arenaria, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. barbarae, C. bebbii, C. bolanderi, C. brainerdii, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. buchananii, C. buxbaumii, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. chordorrhiza, C. comans, C. comosa, C. concinna, C. concinnoides, C. cordillerana, C. crawfordii, C. cusickii, C. davyi, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. diandra, C. disperma, C. distans, C. douglasii, C. duriuscula, C. echinata, C. exsiccata, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. fissuricola, C. fracta, C. geyeri, C. gynocrates, C. gynodynama, C. halliana, C. harfordii, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. hirsutella, C. hirta, C. hoodii, C. hystericina, C. idahoa, C. illota, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. jonesii, C. kelloggii, C. klamathensis, C. kobomugi, C. laeviculmis, C. lasiocarpa, C. leporina, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. longii, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. media, C. mendocinensis, C. mertensii, C. mesochorea, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. multicaulis, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. nervina, C. neurophora, C. nigricans, C. nudata, C. obnupta, C. pachycarpa, C. pachystachya, C. pansa, C. paysonis, C. pellita, C. pelocarpa, C. pendula, C. petasata, C. phaeocephala, C. pluriflora, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. pumila, C. raynoldsii, C. retrorsa, C. rossii, C. saxatilis, C. scabriuscula, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. serpenticola, C. serratodens, C. sheldonii, C. simulata, C. spectabilis, C. stipata, C. straminiformis, C. subbracteata, C. subfusca, C. subnigricans, C. sychnocephala, C. tahoensis, C. tiogana, C. tribuloides, C. tumulicola, C. unilateralis, C. utriculata, C. vallicola, C. vernacula, C. vesicaria, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. whitneyi, C. zikae
Synonyms Carex eurycarpa, Carex oxycarpa
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