Carex heteroneura Provisional Herbaceous Alliance
Different-nerve sedge patches

Summary Information

  • Primary Life FormHerb
  • Elevation2000-3000 m
  • State RarityS3?
  • Global RarityG3?
  • DistributionCAN: AB, BC. USA: AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY (USDA Plants)
  • Endemic to CaliforniaNo
  • Endemic to California Floristic Province and DesertsNo
  • Date Added2009/09/01

Characteristic Species

Carex heteroneura is dominant to co-dominant in the herbaceous layer with Achillea millefolium, Antennaria media, Antennaria rosea, Astragalus spp., Carex microptera, Cryptogramma acrostichoides, Erigeron algidus, Juncus parryi, Lupinus covillei, Pedicularis attollens, Penstemon heterodoxus, Potentilla diversifolia, Potentilla drummondii, Sibbaldia procumbens and Trisetum spicatum.

Vegetation Layers

Herbs and subshrubs < 1 m; cover is intermittent to continuous. Moss cover may be abundant.

Habitats

Mesic subalpine to alpine meadows and adjacent rocky slopes. Soils are well drained to seasonally wet. The USFWS Wetland Inventory (1996 national list) recognizes Carex heteroneura as a FAC plant.

Other Habitat, Alliance, and Community Groupings

MCV (1995) Alpine habitat, Sedge series, Subalpine meadow habitat
NVCS (2009) Not treated
Calveg Alpine grasses and forbs, Alpine mixed scrub
Holland Wet subalpine or alpine meadow, Sierra Nevada fell-field
Munz Alpine fell-fields, Red fir forest
WHR Alpine dwarf-shrub
CDFW CA Code 45.115.00