Carex inops L.H. Bailey subsp. inops
long-stoloned sedge (long-stolon sedge)
Cyperaceae (Sedge family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

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Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Carex inops subsp. inops
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Species Information

General:
Perennial, tufted herb from slender, creeping, branched rhizomes; stems (10) 20-50 cm tall, clustered, usually longer than the leaves, reddish-brown tinged at the bases.
Leaves:
Sheaths tight, breaking into threads at the bases; blades flat, channeled towards the base, 5 to 10 per stem, the margins somewhat turned in, borne on the lower 1/3 of the stem, 1-3 mm wide, the lower ones slightly reduced.
Flowers:
Spikes 2 to 4, the terminal one 1-2.5 cm long, the stalks 0.8-10 mm long, with many male flowers, the lower spikes 1 to 3, with female flowers, unstalked to short-stalked, erect; bracts subtending the lowest spike leaflike, sheathless or short-sheathing, shorter than the inflorescence, the others short, inconspicuous.
Fruits:
Perigynia broadly egg-shaped to nearly globe-shaped, 2.5-4.5 mm long, 2-2.3 mm wide, dull green to straw-coloured, convex, finely short-hairy, with 2 prominent marginal nerves, the bases short-stalked, the beaks 0.5-1.5 mm long, bidentate; female scales egg-shaped, rounded to tapered, slightly longer to somewhat shorter than the perigynia, straw-coloured to brownish, with lighter midribs, with translucent margins; stigmas 3; achenes 3-angled, with convex sides above, smooth, 1.8-2.5 mm long.
Notes:
Two subspecies occur in BC :

1. Lower female spike elongate, short-stalked, its bract often short-sheathing; stalks of the male spike 4-10 mm long.................... ssp. inops

1. Lower female spike short, unstalked, its bract sheathless; stalks of the male spike 0.8-5 mm long.................... ssp. heliophila (Mack.) Crins

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Carex inops ssp. inops

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
388 27 2010
Slope Gradient (%)
26 0 84

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

149 23 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 1 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
44
Modal BEC Zone Class
CDF

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

BWBS(3), CDF(32), ESSF(2), IDF(3), SBS(1)

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry oak woodlands, meadows and rock outcrops in the lowland, montane and steppe zones; ssp. inops - infrequent in SW and SC BC; ssp. heliophila - infrequent in NE BC; ssp. inops - S to CA; ssp. heliophila - E to ON and S to IN, MO, OK, NM and UT.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Carex pensylvanica Lam.
Carex pensylvanica var. vespertina