Community Field Guide
Scientific Name:
Carex lanuginosa - Calamagrostis stricta Herbaceous Vegetation
Common Name:
Woolly sedge - narrow-spike reedgrass Herbaceous Vegetation
Community Description
Summary:
This sedge-bluejoint wet meadow is found in the northern tallgrass prairie region and in the northeastern Great Plains. Stands occur on level ground in shallow depressions and other lowlands on poorly drained sandy, loamy, or silty clay soils. Standing water may be present for a few to several weeks during most years. Soil pH is circumneutral to somewhat alkaline and organic content can be moderately high. The vegetation of this community provides approximately 100% cover and the dominant vegetation is graminoids, typically 0.5-1.0 m tall. Forbs can be common, but shrubs are rarely found in this type. The most abundant species are Calamagrostis stricta, Carex pellita (= Carex lanuginosa), Carex sartwellii, Anemone canadensis, Apocynum cannabinum, Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (= Aster lanceolatus), Eleocharis compressa, Juncus balticus, Phalaris arundinacea, and schoenoplectus americanus (= Scirpus americanus). Carex buxbaumii may be common, except in North Dakota.
Environment:
This community occurs on level ground in shallow depressions and other lowlands on poorly drained sandy, loamy, or silty clay soils. Standing water can be present for a few to several weeks a year (Dix and Smeins 1967, Smeins and Olsen 1970). Soil pH is circumneutral to somewhat alkaline, and organic content can be moderately high.
Vegetation:
The vegetation of this community provides approximately 100% cover and the dominant vegetation is graminoids, typically 0.5-1.0 m tall. Forbs can be common, but shrubs are rarely found in this type. The most abundant species are Calamagrostis stricta, Carex pellita (= Carex lanuginosa), Carex sartwellii, Anemone canadensis, Apocynum cannabinum, Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (= Aster lanceolatus), Eleocharis compressa, Juncus balticus, Phalaris arundinacea, and Schoenoplectus americanus (= Scirpus americanus). Carex buxbaumii may be common, except in North Dakota.
Range:
This sedge-bluejoint wet meadow is found in the northern tallgrass prairie region and in the northeastern Great Plains, ranging from northern Iowa, western Minnesota, the Dakotas west to central Montana and parts of the Canadian Prairie Provinces.
Global Rank: G3G5 State Rank: S3?
Community References
Identifier:
CEGL002254
Author:
J. Drake; mod. D. Faber-Langendoen, MCS; mod. S. V. Cooper and C. Jean, MTNHP
Citations:
Dix and Smeins 1967, Nelson et al. 1981, Smeins and Olsen 1970
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This information is from the:
Montana Natural Heritage Program
Montana State Library--Natural Resource Information System
1515 East Sixth Ave., Helena, MT 59620-1800
406 444-3989
mtnhp.org
mtnhp@mt.gov
