Carex leporinella
Encyclopedia
Carex leporinella is a species of sedge
known by the common name Sierra hare sedge.
, such as the Sierra Nevada, to Wyoming
, where it grows in moist mountain habitat
s, such as meadow
s.
The open inflorescence
is a cluster of several golden to brown spikes, their flowers covered with reddish-brown, white-edged scales. The fruit is coated in a winged, curved, light-colored sac called a perigynium.
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 Sierra hare sedge.
Distribution
This sedge is native to the western United States from 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...
, such as the Sierra Nevada, to Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, where it grows in moist mountain habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s, 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 leporinella produces dense clumps of thin stems up to about 30 centimeters tall. There are a few leaves at each stem, each very narrow and generally folded or rolled.The open 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 cluster of several golden to brown spikes, their flowers covered with reddish-brown, white-edged scales. The fruit is coated in a winged, curved, light-colored sac called a perigynium.