Carex integra Provisional Herbaceous Alliance
Small-fruited sedge meadows
Small-fruited sedge meadows
Summary Information
- Primary Life FormHerb
- Elevation900-3200 m
- State RarityS2?
- Global RarityG4?
- DistributionUSA: CA, NV, OR, WA (USDA Plants)
- Endemic to CaliforniaNo
- Endemic to California Floristic Province and DesertsNo
- Date Added2009/09/01
Characteristic Species
Carex integra is dominant or co-dominant in the herbaceous layer with Achillea millefolium, Achnatherum lemmonii, Agrostis gigantea, Danthonia californica, Erigeron (peregrinus), Fragaria virginiana, Penstemon rydbergii var. oreocharis, Poa cusickii, Poa pratensis, Taraxacum officinale, Trifolium longipes and Veratrum californicum.
Vegetation Layers
Herbs < 1 m; cover is open to intermittent.
Habitats
Drying meadow edges, inactive stream terraces.
Other Habitat, Alliance, and Community Groupings
| MCV (1995) | Sedge series |
| NVCS (2009) | Not treated |
| Calveg | Perennial grasses and forbs |
| Holland | Dry montane meadow, Dry subalpine or alpine meadow |
| Munz | Not treated |
| WHR | Alpine dwarf-shrub, Perennial grassland, Wet meadow |
| CDFW CA Code | 45.175.00 |
Remarks
Carex integra is a densely tufted perennial sedge with culms to 30 cm. Stands are susceptible to heavy grazing because they occur on flat, upland sites that are dry yet close to water (S. Smith 1998). Stands typify moist-to-dry montane meadow settings along with stands of the Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Poa pratensis, and Veratrum californicum alliances.
Observations
The range of Carex integra includes the Klamath Mountains (M261A), Modoc Plateau (M261G), Northern California Coast Ranges (M261B), Sierra Nevada (M261E), Southern California Mountains and Valleys at montane to subalpine elevations (M262Bb, Bh, Bm), and Southern Cascades (M261D). Beguin and Major (1975, see Cheng 2004) described a Carex integra-Poa cusickii association at Grass Lake RNA, and S. Smith (1998b) reported on a Carex integra meadow type for northeastern California. The relationship of these and other similar meadow edge alliances requires further sampling and analysis.
References
- Cheng, S. 2004
- Smith, S. 1998b