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Montana Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Black Alpine Sedge - Carex nigricans

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Native Species

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S4S5
C-value: 7


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

External Links

 
General Description
Rhizomatous. Stems erect, 10–40 cm. Leaves: basal and cauline; blades 1–3 mm wide. Inflorescence a solitary bractless spike. Spike ovoid, 8–20 mm long; male flowered portion 3–8 mm long; female flowers below. Perigynia ascending, spreading to reflexed at maturity, narrowly lanceolate, brown to purplish above, 2–3 mm long not including the distinct pedicel, tapered to an indistinct, entire beak; stigmas 3. Female scales blackish, concealing the perigynia at first but soon deciduous. Achene 3-sided, smaller than the perigynium (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Species Range
Montana Range Range Descriptions

Native
 


Range Comments
AK south to CA, UT and CO (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 85

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Moist meadows, along streams, in depressions; alpine, rarely lower (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).


References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Aho, Ken Andrew. 2006. Alpine and Cliff Ecosystems in the North-Central Rocky Mountains. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University. 343 p.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
    • Parks, J.C. 1986. Plant materials for use on disturbed alpine areas in Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 57 p.
    • Williams, K.L. 2012. Classification of the grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, forests and alpine vegetation associations of the Custer National Forest portion of the Beartooth Mountains in southcentral Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 376 p.
  • Web Search Engines for Articles on "Black Alpine Sedge"
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Citation for data on this website:
Black Alpine Sedge — Carex nigricans.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from