Carex mariposana
Encyclopedia
Carex mariposana is a species of sedge
known by the common name Mariposa sedge.
and far western Nevada
, where it grows in moist areas such as meadow
s.
is a dense or open cluster of gold, brown, or reddish spikes. The fruit is covered with a sac called a perigynium which is generally greenish or coppery brown, veined, and winged.
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 Mariposa sedge.
Distribution
This sedge is native to the Sierra Nevada of CaliforniaCalifornia
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 far western Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, where it grows in moist areas such as meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s.
Description
Carex mariposana produces dense clumps of stems up to about 90 centimeters in maximum height and narrow leaves up to about 30 centimeters long. The inflorescenceInflorescence
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 dense or open cluster of gold, brown, or reddish spikes. The fruit is covered with a sac called a perigynium which is generally greenish or coppery brown, veined, and winged.