Carex petasata
Encyclopedia
Carex petasata is a species of sedge
known by the common name Liddon sedge.
and northwestern Canada to California
and to New Mexico
, where it grows in several habitat types, including dry and wet, and low to high elevation, woodland and grassland.
The inflorescence
is a light-colored open bundle of distinct flower spikes. The scale covering the female flower and the perigynium on the fruit are generally of pale color, white to cream to light brown.
Carex
Carex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
known by the common name Liddon sedge.
Distribution
This sedge is native to much of western North America, from AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and northwestern Canada to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where it grows in several habitat types, including dry and wet, and low to high elevation, woodland and grassland.
Description
Carex petasata produces dense clumps of stems up to about 85 centimeters in maximum height with several leaves per stem measuring up to 30 or 40 centimeters long.The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a light-colored open bundle of distinct flower spikes. The scale covering the female flower and the perigynium on the fruit are generally of pale color, white to cream to light brown.