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valley sedge, western valley sedge

carex en chapelet, necklace spike sedge

Habit Plants without conspicuous rhizomes.
Culms

12–60 cm, 1–1.3 mm wide basally, 0.5–1 mm wide distally.

densely tufted, central, erect or ascending, 28–44 cm × 1.4–1.8 mm.

Leaves

sheaths tight, green, fronts hyaline;

ligules less than 2 mm, wider than long;

widest leaf blades 1–3 mm wide, papillose adaxially.

basal sheaths purple or slightly purple;

sheaths 2–24 mm;

blades erect or ascending, green or yellow-green, midrib developed adaxially, 2 lateral veins developed abaxially, flat, 12–28 cm × 3.5–12 mm, overwintering dead leaves lateral to new clumps, smooth adaxially.

Bracts

1.4–12.4 cm × 1–6 mm, angles of bract sheath smooth or minutely papillose, bract blade of distal lateral spikes linear.

Inflorescences

with 5–10 crowded spikes, 0.5–3 cm × 5–8 mm;

proximal bracts to 1(–3) cm;

spikes with 2–10 ascending perigynia.

peduncles of lateral spikes 0–6.4 cm; of terminal spike 0.2–2.6 cm.

Spikes

4(–5) per culm;

lateral spikes (15–)19–33 × 3.4–4 mm;

internodes in proximalmost spikes 3.3–14 mm;

terminal spike linear, 6–25 × 2–3 mm.

Perigynia

brown, abaxial face 7–15-veined proximally, otherwise veinless or obscurely veined, 3.3–4 × 1.8–2.3 mm, base of perigynium spongy, thickened and longitudinally striate adaxially, spongy region 0.7–1 mm, margins serrulate to subentire distally;

beak 0.5–1 mm, apical teeth 0.1–0.3 mm.

6–18 per spike, separate or loosely overlapping, finely, conspicuously (22–)25–32-veined, broadly obovate, 2.2–3.3 × 1.2–1.6 mm;

beak curved, 0.1–0.3 mm.

Achenes

ovate to circular, 1.6–2.7 × 1.5–2 mm.

ovoid, 2–2.8 × 1–1.4 mm.

Pistillate

scales hyaline or pale brown with green 1–3-veined center, ovate, 2.8–3.2 × 1.8–2.6 mm, body slightly shorter than to length of perigynium, apex acute to short-awned.

scales 2.8–3 × 2–2.4 mm, apex apiculate or aristate.

Anthers

1.8–2.3 mm.

2.4–2.8 mm.

Stigmas

straight or slightly twisted, 0.05 mm wide.

Staminate

scales oblong ovate, 3.5–4.5 × 0.8–1.2 mm, margins hyaline or brownish, apex obtuse or acute.

Carex vallicola

Carex ormostachya

Phenology Fruiting spring–early summer. Fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat Dry to mesic hillsides, grasslands, thickets, open forests Moist to dry deciduous, evergreen, or mixed deciduous-evergreen forests, frequently sandy gravel or disturbed soils
Elevation 500–3000 m (1600–9800 ft) 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; BC; Mexico (Hidalgo)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; PA; VA; VT; WI; NB; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 23, p. 290. FNA vol. 23, p. 438.
Parent taxa Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Phaestoglochin Cyperaceae > Carex > sect. Laxiflorae
Sibling taxa
C. aboriginum, C. abrupta, C. abscondita, C. acidicola, C. acutiformis, C. adelostoma, C. adusta, C. aestivalis, C. aggregata, C. alata, C. albicans, C. albida, C. albolutescens, C. albonigra, C. albursina, C. alma, C. alopecoidea, C. amphibola, C. amplectens, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. annectens, C. anthoxanthea, C. aperta, C. appalachica, C. aquatilis, C. arapahoensis, C. arcta, C. arctata, C. arctiformis, C. arenaria, C. argyrantha, C. arkansana, C. assiniboinensis, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atlantica, C. atrata, C. atratiformis, C. atrofusca, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. aureolensis, C. austrina, C. austrocaroliniana, C. backii, C. baileyi, C. baltzellii, C. barbarae, C. barrattii, C. basiantha, C. bebbii, C. bella, C. bicknellii, C. bicolor, C. bigelowii, C. biltmoreana, C. blanda, C. bolanderi, C. bonanzensis, C. brainerdii, C. brevicaulis, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. bromoides, C. brunnescens, C. brysonii, C. bulbostylis, C. bullata, C. bushii, C. buxbaumii, C. calcifugens, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. careyana, C. caroliniana, C. caryophyllea, C. castanea, C. cephaloidea, C. cephalophora, C. chalciolepis, C. chapmanii, C. cherokeensis, C. chihuahuensis, C. chordorrhiza, C. circinata, C. collinsii, C. communis, C. comosa, C. complanata, C. concinna, C. concinnoides, C. congdonii, C. conjuncta, C. conoidea, C. constanceana, C. cordillerana, C. corrugata, C. crawei, C. crawfordii, C. crebriflora, C. crinita, C. cristatella, C. crus-corvi, C. cryptolepis, C. cumberlandensis, C. cumulata, C. curatorum, C. cusickii, C. dasycarpa, C. davisii, C. davyi, C. debilis, C. decomposita, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. deweyana, C. diandra, C. digitalis, C. diluta, C. disperma, C. distans, C. disticha, C. divisa, C. divulsa, C. douglasii, C. duriuscula, C. ebenea, C. eburnea, C. echinata, C. edwardsiana, C. egglestonii, C. eleusinoides, C. elliottii, C. elynoides, C. emoryi, C. endlichii, C. engelmannii, C. epapillosa, C. exilis, C. exsiccata, C. extensa, C. festucacea, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. fissa, C. fissuricola, C. flacca, C. flaccosperma, C. flava, C. floridana, C. foenea, C. folliculata, C. formosa, C. fracta, C. frankii, C. fuliginosa, C. garberi, C. geophila, C. geyeri, C. gholsonii, C. gigantea, C. glacialis, C. glareosa, C. glaucescens, C. glaucodea, C. globosa, C. gmelinii, C. godfreyi, C. gracilescens, C. gracilior, C. gracillima, C. granularis, C. gravida, C. grayi, C. grisea, C. gynandra, C. gynocrates, C. gynodynama, C. halliana, C. hallii, C. harfordii, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. haydenii, C. heleonastes, C. helleri, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. heterostachya, C. hirsutella, C. hirta, C. hirtifolia, C. hirtissima, C. hitchcockiana, C. holostoma, C. hoodii, C. hookeriana, C. hormathodes, C. hostiana, C. houghtoniana, C. hyalina, C. hyalinolepis, C. hystericina, C. idahoa, C. illota, C. impressinervia, C. incurviformis, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. intumescens, C. jamesii, C. jonesii, C. joorii, C. juniperorum, C. kobomugi, C. kraliana, C. krausei, C. lachenalii, C. lacustris, C. laeviconica, C. laeviculmis, C. laevivaginata, C. lapponica, C. lasiocarpa, C. latebracteata, C. lativena, C. laxa, C. laxiculmis, C. laxiflora, C. leavenworthii, C. lemmonii, C. lenticularis, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptonervia, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. loliacea, C. lonchocarpa, C. longii, C. louisianica, C. lucorum, C. lupuliformis, C. lupulina, C. lurida, C. lutea, C. luzulifolia, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. mackenziei, C. macloviana, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. magellanica, C. manhartii, C. marina, C. mariposana, C. maritima, C. mckittrickensis, C. meadii, C. media, C. melanostachya, C. membranacea, C. mendocinensis, C. merritt-fernaldii, C. mertensii, C. mesochorea, C. michauxiana, C. microchaeta, C. microdonta, C. microglochin, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. misera, C. missouriensis, C. mitchelliana, C. molesta, C. molestiformis, C. muehlenbergii, C. multicaulis, C. multicostata, C. muricata, C. muriculata, C. muskingumensis, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. nelsonii, C. nervina, C. neurophora, C. nigra, C. nigricans, C. nigromarginata, C. normalis, C. norvegica, C. nova, C. novae-angliae, C. nudata, C. obispoensis, C. obnupta, C. obtusata, C. occidentalis, C. oklahomensis, C. oligocarpa, C. oligosperma, C. opaca, C. oreocharis, C. ormostachya, C. oronensis, C. ouachitana, C. ovalis, C. oxylepis, C. ozarkana, C. pachystachya, C. paeninsulae, C. paleacea, C. pallescens, C. panicea, C. pansa, C. parallela, C. parryana, C. pauciflora, C. paysonis, C. peckii, C. pedunculata, C. pellita, C. pelocarpa, C. pendula, C. pensylvanica, C. perdentata, C. perglobosa, C. petasata, C. petricosa, C. phaeocephala, C. picta, C. pigra, C. pityophila, C. planispicata, C. planostachys, C. plantaginea, C. platyphylla, C. pluriflora, C. podocarpa, C. polymorpha, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. prairea, C. prasina, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. projecta, C. proposita, C. pseudocyperus, C. pumila, C. purpurifera, C. radfordii, C. radiata, C. ramenskii, C. rariflora, C. raynoldsii, C. recta, C. reniformis, C. retroflexa, C. retrorsa, C. richardsonii, C. roanensis, C. rosea, C. rossii, C. rostrata, C. rotundata, C. rufina, C. rupestris, C. ruthii, C. sabulosa, C. salina, C. sartwelliana, C. sartwellii, C. saxatilis, C. saximontana, C. scabrata, C. scabriuscula, C. schottii, C. schweinitzii, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. senta, C. seorsa, C. serpenticola, C. serratodens, C. sheldonii, C. shinnersii, C. shortiana, C. siccata, C. silicea, C. simulata, C. socialis, C. sparganioides, C. specifica, C. spectabilis, C. specuicola, C. spicata, C. spissa, C. sprengelii, C. squarrosa, C. stenoptila, C. sterilis, C. stevenii, C. stipata, C. straminea, C. straminiformis, C. striata, C. striatula, C. stricta, C. styloflexa, C. stylosa, C. subbracteata, C. suberecta, C. subfusca, C. subnigricans, C. subspathacea, C. superata, C. supina, C. swanii, C. sychnocephala, C. sylvatica, C. tahoensis, C. tenax, C. tenera, C. tenuiflora, C. tetanica, C. tetrastachya, C. texensis, C. thornei, C. thurberi, C. timida, C. tincta, C. tompkinsii, C. tonsa, C. torreyi, C. torta, C. triangularis, C. tribuloides, C. trichocarpa, C. triquetra, C. trisperma, C. tuckermanii, C. tumulicola, C. turbinata, C. turgescens, C. typhina, C. umbellata, C. unilateralis, C. ursina, C. utriculata, C. vacillans, C. vaginata, C. venusta, C. vernacula, C. verrucosa, C. vesicaria, C. vestita, C. vexans, C. virescens, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. whitneyi, C. wiegandii, C. willdenowii, C. williamsii, C. woodii, C. wootonii, C. xerantica
C. aboriginum, C. abrupta, C. abscondita, C. acidicola, C. acutiformis, C. adelostoma, C. adusta, C. aestivalis, C. aggregata, C. alata, C. albicans, C. albida, C. albolutescens, C. albonigra, C. albursina, C. alma, C. alopecoidea, C. amphibola, C. amplectens, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. annectens, C. anthoxanthea, C. aperta, C. appalachica, C. aquatilis, C. arapahoensis, C. arcta, C. arctata, C. arctiformis, C. arenaria, C. argyrantha, C. arkansana, C. assiniboinensis, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atlantica, C. atrata, C. atratiformis, C. atrofusca, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. aureolensis, C. austrina, C. austrocaroliniana, C. backii, C. baileyi, C. baltzellii, C. barbarae, C. barrattii, C. basiantha, C. bebbii, C. bella, C. bicknellii, C. bicolor, C. bigelowii, C. biltmoreana, C. blanda, C. bolanderi, C. bonanzensis, C. brainerdii, C. brevicaulis, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. bromoides, C. brunnescens, C. brysonii, C. bulbostylis, C. bullata, C. bushii, C. buxbaumii, C. calcifugens, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. careyana, C. caroliniana, C. caryophyllea, C. castanea, C. cephaloidea, C. cephalophora, C. chalciolepis, C. chapmanii, C. cherokeensis, C. chihuahuensis, C. chordorrhiza, C. circinata, C. collinsii, C. communis, C. comosa, C. complanata, C. concinna, C. concinnoides, C. congdonii, C. conjuncta, C. conoidea, C. constanceana, C. cordillerana, C. corrugata, C. crawei, C. crawfordii, C. crebriflora, C. crinita, C. cristatella, C. crus-corvi, C. cryptolepis, C. cumberlandensis, C. cumulata, C. curatorum, C. cusickii, C. dasycarpa, C. davisii, C. davyi, C. debilis, C. decomposita, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. deweyana, C. diandra, C. digitalis, C. diluta, C. disperma, C. distans, C. disticha, C. divisa, C. divulsa, C. douglasii, C. duriuscula, C. ebenea, C. eburnea, C. echinata, C. edwardsiana, C. egglestonii, C. eleusinoides, C. elliottii, C. elynoides, C. emoryi, C. endlichii, C. engelmannii, C. epapillosa, C. exilis, C. exsiccata, C. extensa, C. festucacea, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. fissa, C. fissuricola, C. flacca, C. flaccosperma, C. flava, C. floridana, C. foenea, C. folliculata, C. formosa, C. fracta, C. frankii, C. fuliginosa, C. garberi, C. geophila, C. geyeri, C. gholsonii, C. gigantea, C. glacialis, C. glareosa, C. glaucescens, C. glaucodea, C. globosa, C. gmelinii, C. godfreyi, C. gracilescens, C. gracilior, C. gracillima, C. granularis, C. gravida, C. grayi, C. grisea, C. gynandra, C. gynocrates, C. gynodynama, C. halliana, C. hallii, C. harfordii, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. haydenii, C. heleonastes, C. helleri, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. heterostachya, C. hirsutella, C. hirta, C. hirtifolia, C. hirtissima, C. hitchcockiana, C. holostoma, C. hoodii, C. hookeriana, C. hormathodes, C. hostiana, C. houghtoniana, C. hyalina, C. hyalinolepis, C. hystericina, C. idahoa, C. illota, C. impressinervia, C. incurviformis, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. intumescens, C. jamesii, C. jonesii, C. joorii, C. juniperorum, C. kobomugi, C. kraliana, C. krausei, C. lachenalii, C. lacustris, C. laeviconica, C. laeviculmis, C. laevivaginata, C. lapponica, C. lasiocarpa, C. latebracteata, C. lativena, C. laxa, C. laxiculmis, C. laxiflora, C. leavenworthii, C. lemmonii, C. lenticularis, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptonervia, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. loliacea, C. lonchocarpa, C. longii, C. louisianica, C. lucorum, C. lupuliformis, C. lupulina, C. lurida, C. lutea, C. luzulifolia, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. mackenziei, C. macloviana, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. magellanica, C. manhartii, C. marina, C. mariposana, C. maritima, C. mckittrickensis, C. meadii, C. media, C. melanostachya, C. membranacea, C. mendocinensis, C. merritt-fernaldii, C. mertensii, C. mesochorea, C. michauxiana, C. microchaeta, C. microdonta, C. microglochin, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. misera, C. missouriensis, C. mitchelliana, C. molesta, C. molestiformis, C. muehlenbergii, C. multicaulis, C. multicostata, C. muricata, C. muriculata, C. muskingumensis, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. nelsonii, C. nervina, C. neurophora, C. nigra, C. nigricans, C. nigromarginata, C. normalis, C. norvegica, C. nova, C. novae-angliae, C. nudata, C. obispoensis, C. obnupta, C. obtusata, C. occidentalis, C. oklahomensis, C. oligocarpa, C. oligosperma, C. opaca, C. oreocharis, C. oronensis, C. ouachitana, C. ovalis, C. oxylepis, C. ozarkana, C. pachystachya, C. paeninsulae, C. paleacea, C. pallescens, C. panicea, C. pansa, C. parallela, C. parryana, C. pauciflora, C. paysonis, C. peckii, C. pedunculata, C. pellita, C. pelocarpa, C. pendula, C. pensylvanica, C. perdentata, C. perglobosa, C. petasata, C. petricosa, C. phaeocephala, C. picta, C. pigra, C. pityophila, C. planispicata, C. planostachys, C. plantaginea, C. platyphylla, C. pluriflora, C. podocarpa, C. polymorpha, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. prairea, C. prasina, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. projecta, C. proposita, C. pseudocyperus, C. pumila, C. purpurifera, C. radfordii, C. radiata, C. ramenskii, C. rariflora, C. raynoldsii, C. recta, C. reniformis, C. retroflexa, C. retrorsa, C. richardsonii, C. roanensis, C. rosea, C. rossii, C. rostrata, C. rotundata, C. rufina, C. rupestris, C. ruthii, C. sabulosa, C. salina, C. sartwelliana, C. sartwellii, C. saxatilis, C. saximontana, C. scabrata, C. scabriuscula, C. schottii, C. schweinitzii, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. senta, C. seorsa, C. serpenticola, C. serratodens, C. sheldonii, C. shinnersii, C. shortiana, C. siccata, C. silicea, C. simulata, C. socialis, C. sparganioides, C. specifica, C. spectabilis, C. specuicola, C. spicata, C. spissa, C. sprengelii, C. squarrosa, C. stenoptila, C. sterilis, C. stevenii, C. stipata, C. straminea, C. straminiformis, C. striata, C. striatula, C. stricta, C. styloflexa, C. stylosa, C. subbracteata, C. suberecta, C. subfusca, C. subnigricans, C. subspathacea, C. superata, C. supina, C. swanii, C. sychnocephala, C. sylvatica, C. tahoensis, C. tenax, C. tenera, C. tenuiflora, C. tetanica, C. tetrastachya, C. texensis, C. thornei, C. thurberi, C. timida, C. tincta, C. tompkinsii, C. tonsa, C. torreyi, C. torta, C. triangularis, C. tribuloides, C. trichocarpa, C. triquetra, C. trisperma, C. tuckermanii, C. tumulicola, C. turbinata, C. turgescens, C. typhina, C. umbellata, C. unilateralis, C. ursina, C. utriculata, C. vacillans, C. vaginata, C. vallicola, C. venusta, C. vernacula, C. verrucosa, C. vesicaria, C. vestita, C. vexans, C. virescens, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. whitneyi, C. wiegandii, C. willdenowii, C. williamsii, C. woodii, C. wootonii, C. xerantica
Synonyms C. rusbyi, C. vallicola var. rusbyi
Name authority Dewey: Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 32: 40. (1861) Wiegand: Rhodora 24: 196. (1922)
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