Community Field Guide
Scientific Name:
Carex aperta Herbaceous Vegetation
Common Name:
Columbia sedge Wet Meadow
Community Description
Summary:
This plant association occupies lake shores, river floodplains, and wet meadows in western and south-central Montana, and western Washington. It occurs in low lying areas with prolonged seasonal flooding. The association is characterized by nearly pure stands of Carex aperta with lesser amounts of Poa palustris, Argentina anserina (= Potentilla anserina), Bidens cernua, Bidens frondosa, Ludwigia palustris, Polygonum amphibium, and Erysimum cheiranthoides.
Range:
The association is known from western Washington, Oregon, western Montana, and south-central Montana.
Global Rank: G1? State Rank: S?
Global Rank Comments:
Carex aperta Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL001801) occurs in areas that are saturated throughout the growing season on floodplains and the shorelines of lakes. It was reported as being historically widespread in Washington, but its extent has been reduced by flood control, grazing, and invasion of exotic species. Only a few stands are currently known to occur in Washington, Oregon and western Montana. None have been found in Idaho, but inventory there is not complete. The majority of the known stands were reported as being in poor condition. In Oregon, stands are reported as coastal and may represent an association that is distinct from the inland stands.
Community References
Identifier:
CEGL001801
Author:
M. Jankovsky-Jones
Citations:
Boggs et al. 1990, Bourgeron and Engelking 1994, Driscoll et al. 1984, Hansen et al. 1991, Hansen et al. 1995, Kunze 1994
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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
