General:
Perennial, densely tufted herb from short rhizomes, without stolons; 5-50 cm tall.
Leaves:
Flat, fringed with fine hairs, 3-15 cm long and 3-6 mm wide; sheaths green.
Flowers:
Inflorescence with about 5 to 15, stalked clusters, the clusters dense up to the base without remote basal flowers, each with 6 to 14 flowers; perianth segments pale green to dark brown, 2.5-4 mm long, lanceolate to egg-shaped, pointed or short-awned, the inner about the same length as the outer; styles slightly shorter to longer than the ovaries; stamens 6; anthers 0.6-1.2 mm long, longer than the filaments; bractlets scarcely fringed with a few hairs, less than 1/2 the length of the perianth segments; lower bract leaflike, well-developed, surpassing inflorescence or shorter.
Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped, the tops blunt or pointed, shorter than or longer than the perianth segments; seeds spindle-shaped, 0.8-1.2 mm long, with short appendages.
Notes:
This is a variable species with two subspecies in BC:
1. Outer perianth segments pointed, inner perianth segments blunt or with short, abruptly-pointed awns; capsules pointed, longer than the perianth segments; styles 0.3-0.5 mm long; alpine zone, northern BC....................... ssp. frigida (Buch.) Krecz.
1. All perianth segments equal in shape, slenderly pointed; capsules with blunt tops, shorter than the perianth; styles 0.5-0.8 mm long; lowland or montane zones......................... ssp. multiflora
Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
Elevation
(metres) |
482 | 0 | 2040 |
Slope
Gradient (%) |
27 | 0 | 210 |
Aspect (degrees) |
172 | 0 | 360 |
Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
2 | 0 | 7 |
Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
#
of field plots species was recorded in: |
280 | ||
Modal
BEC Zone Class |
CWH | ||
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
AT(3), BAFA(2), CDF(26), CMA(3), CWH(131), ESSF(13), ICH(2), IDF(6), MH(19), MS(1), PP(1), SBS(1) | ||
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|