Carex brunnescens Kalela subsp. brunnescens
brownish sedge (Alaska brownish sedge)
Cyperaceae (Sedge family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

Once images have been obtained, photographs of this taxon will be displayed in this window.Click on the image to enter our photo gallery.
Currently no image is available for this taxon.


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Carex brunnescens subsp. brunnescens
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial, somewhat tufted herb from short rhizomes; stems 15-70 cm tall, usually longer than the leaves.
Leaves:
Sheaths tight; blades numerous, borne on the lower part of the stem, 1-2.5 mm wide, flat, the lowermost leaves often reduced.
Flowers:
Spikes 4 to 9 in a 3- to 5-cm long, narrow, interrupted inflorescence, occasionally with a few of the uppermost spikes aggregated into a small cluster, egg-shaped, many-flowered, 4-7 mm long, ascending, with both female and male flowers, the female flowers towards the tips, the male flowers inconspicuous; lowermost bract reduced or rarely awnlike, about 0.5 cm long.
Fruits:
Perigynia egg-shaped, 2-3.5 mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm wide, dark green or brownish, minutely whitish-dotted, plano-convex, smooth, lightly nerved on both surfaces, unstalked, the beaks about 0.5 mm long, smooth, cleft on the upper surface; female scales egg-shaped, covering about 2/3 of the perigynia, pointed, green, with green midribs; stigmas 2; achenes lens-shaped, 1.2-1.7 mm long, filling the perigynia.
Notes:
This is a variable species whose taxonomy and distribution have not been sufficiently studied. Kalela (1965) distinguished the following three subspecies in British Columbia:

1. Plants densely tufted; stems 15-40 cm long, stiff with short stiff leaves; perigynia 2-2.5 mm long, with a dark brown tinge, the margins without wings, with thick walls, coarsely dotted/pitted....................... ssp. alaskana Kalela

1. Plants loosely tufted, stems 30-70 cm long, lax with long, lax leaves; perigynia 2-3.5 mm long, with a purplish or rusty tinge, with winged margins, thin-walled, finely dotted/pitted.

2. Spikes all separated; perigynia without sharp lateral margins and with faint nerves, light olive-green when ripe; achenes entirely filling the perigynia......................... ssp. sphaerostachya (Tuckerm.) Kalela

2. Spikes forming a terminal head, only the lowermost spike remote; perigynia with weak margins and nerves, olive-brown, with rusty-brown spots when ripe; achenes not entirely filling the perigynia.......................ssp. pacifica Kalela

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat and Range

Bogs, fens and wet sites in forests in the montane and subalpine zones; frequent in N BC, rare in mountains S of 54degreeN; circumpolar, ssp. alaskana - N to AK, YT and NT and E to MB; ssp. pacifica - N to AK and S to WA and ID; ssp. sphaerostachya - N to NT, E to NF and S to ME, MS, SC, TN, OK, CO, UT, NV and OR; Eurasia.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia