''Carex bigelowii'' is a species of
sedge known by the common names Bigelow's sedge, Gwanmo sedge, and stiff sedge.
It has an
Arctic–alpine distribution in Eurasia and North America, and grows up to tall in a variety of habitats.
Distribution
''Carex bigelowii'' has a circumpolar
or
circumboreal
The Circumboreal Region in phytogeography is a floristic region within the Holarctic Kingdom in Eurasia and North America, as delineated by such geobotanists as Josias Braun-Blanquet and Armen Takhtajan.
It is the largest floristic region in t ...
distribution,
occurring throughout the northern
latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. It is present in Europe, Asia and North America, where it occurs from
Alaska to
Greenland,
and in
alpine climates as far south as
Utah and
Colorado.
[
]
Description
''Carex bigelowii'' produces 3-angled stems up to tall, growing in a tuft or singly. The leaves are stiff and dark green, and the leaves of previous seasons may remain on the plant. The inflorescence is accompanied by a short bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
. The inflorescence has 1–3 black pistillate spikes under 1–2 staminate spikes.[ The plant usually reproduces vegetatively, sprouting tillers from its rhizome. It also spreads via ]stolon
In biology, stolons (from Latin '' stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as runners, are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external s ...
s.[ It has a thick root network that allows it to form a turf, and the roots may grow deep in the soil.][
]
Ecology
''Carex bigelowii'' grows in many types of Arctic and alpine habitat. It occurs in forest, bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...
, meadows and tundra. It occurs alongside plants such as willows ('' Salix'' spp.), dwarf arctic birch ('' Betula nana''), lingonberry ('' Vaccinium vitis-idaea''), bog blueberry ('' V. uliginosum''), crowberry ('' Empetrum nigrum''), northern Labrador tea (''Ledum palustre
''Rhododendron tomentosum'' (syn. ''Ledum palustre''), commonly known as marsh Labrador tea, northern Labrador tea or wild rosemary, is a flowering plant in the subsection '' Ledum'' of the large genus ''Rhododendron'' in the family Ericaceae.
D ...
''), American green alder (''Alnus crispa
''Alnus alnobetula'' is a common tree widespread across much of Europe, Asia, and North America. Many sources refer to it as ''Alnus viridis'', the green alder, but botanically this is considered an illegitimate name synonymous with ''Alnus alnob ...
''), cloudberry ('' Rubus chamaemorus''), alpine bearberry ('' Arctostaphylos alpina''), varileaf cinquefoil ('' Potentilla diversifolia''), elephanthead lousewort (''Pedicularis groenlandica
''Pedicularis groenlandica'' is a showy flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae which is known by the common names elephant's head, elephant-head lousewort and butterfly tongue.
This erect plant can grow to a height of . Its sharply-toothed ...
''), white mountain avens ('' Dryas octopetala''), entireleaf mountain avens ('' D. integrifolia''), alpine timothy (''Phleum alpinum
''Phleum alpinum'' is a species of grass known by the common names alpine cat's-tail, alpine timothy and mountain timothy.
Distribution
''Phleum alpinum'' has a circumboreal distribution, inhabiting northern areas of the Northern Hemisphere, a ...
''), alpine rush (''Juncus alpinoarticulatus
''Juncus alpinoarticulatus'', called the northern green rush and the alpine rush, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Juncus
''Juncus'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants, commonly known as rushes. It is the largest gen ...
'') and tussock cottongrass (''Eriophorum vaginatum
''Eriophorum'' (cottongrass, cotton-grass or cottonsedge) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cyperaceae, the sedge family. They are found throughout the arctic, subarctic, and temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere in acid bog ha ...
''), as well as feathermosses (''Hylocomium
''Hylocomium'' is a genus of mosses belonging to the family Hylocomiaceae.
The genus was first described by Wilhelm Philippe Schimper in 1852.
Species:
* ''Hylocomium interruptum'' Margadant, 1972
* ''Hylocomium splendens'' W.P. Schimper, 185 ...
'' and '' Aulacomium'' spp.), lichens ('' Cladonia'' and '' Cladina'' spp.), and sphagnum mosses
''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...
.[ In Scotland, particularly on ]Glas Maol
Glas Maol ( gd, A' Ghlas-Mheall) is a mountain in the Mounth, in the southeastern part of the Highlands of Scotland. The broad, flat summit is divided between the council area of Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perth and Kinross, though the highest ...
, this sedge is codominant with the moss ''Racomitrium lanuginosum
''Racomitrium lanuginosum'' is a widespread species of moss found in montane and arctic tundra, the genus Racomitrium is found across the Northern and Southern hemispheres., however Racomitrium lanuginosum is only found in the Northern hemisphere ...
'' in a heath ecosystem, the British NVC community U10.oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...
sites within two months of the disturbance, and it grows alongside the Dempster Highway in northwestern Canada. Its long-lasting soil seed bank allows it to sprout after the soil is disturbed, and the rhizomes may prevent erosion.[
]
References
Further reading
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External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q598076
bigelowii
Flora of Europe
Flora of Asia
Flora of North America
Plants described in 1824
Flora of Greenland