Flora of North America species comparison

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Carex scopulorum var. scopulorum

Carex scopulorum var. bracteosa
Photo is of parent taxon

mountain sedge
Photo is of parent taxon

bract Rocky Mountain sedge, bract sedge, Holm's Rocky Mountain sedge, mountain sedge, Sierra alpine sedge
Culms

11–40 cm, glabrous on angles.

11–65 cm, scabrous on angles.
Leaves

proximal sheaths brown, fronts with pale brown spots, veinless, with blades, glabrous;

leaf blades 3–6 mm wide.

proximal sheaths red-brown, fronts with pale brown spots, veinless, with blades, glabrous, backs scabrous;

blades 3–6 mm wide.
Perigynia

obovoid.

ellipsoid to obovoid, apex obtuse or rounded.
2n

= 72–80.

Carex scopulorum var. scopulorum

Carex scopulorum var. bracteosa
Phenology Fruiting Aug–Sep. Fruiting Aug–Sep.
Habitat Wet subalpine and alpine meadows Wet subalpine and alpine meadows
Elevation 3000–4500 m (9800–14800 ft) 1200–3000 m (3900–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; WY
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; YT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A common sedge of the southern Rocky Mountains, Carex scopulorum var. scopulorum is distinguished from var. bracteosa by the glabrous stems and sheaths, and by the broader more obovoid perigynia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

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.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 23, p. 399. FNA vol. 23, p. 399.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Phacocystis > Carex scopulorum Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Phacocystis > Carex scopulorum
Sibling taxa
C. scopulorum var. bracteosa, C. scopulorum var. prionophylla
C. scopulorum var. prionophylla, C. scopulorum var. scopulorum
Synonyms C. chimaphila, C. scopulorum var. subconcoloroides, C. tolmiei var. subsessilis C. vulgaris var. bracteosa, C. brachypoda, C. campylocarpa, C. campylocarpa subsp. affinis, C. gymnoclada
Name authority unknown (L. H. Bailey) F. J. Hermann: Leafl. W. Bot. 9: 16. (1959)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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