Print Report

CEGL002661 Carex vesicaria Wet Meadow

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Blister Sedge Wet Meadow

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: Stands of this vegetation type are commonly found in wet meadows, around the edges of montane lakes and beaver ponds, along the margins of slow-moving reaches of streams and rivers, and in marshy swales and overflow channels on broad floodplains throughout the western United States. Elevations range from 1075-2900 m (3525-9500 feet). These communities can occur in standing water or on sites that become relatively dry during the later part of the growing season. Many sites are located where beaver ponds have filled with sediment. A wide range of soils are associated with this association. Histosols are most common and often have organic accumulations greater than 1 meter thick. Mollisols and Entisols are also associated with this type. Soil texture varies widely from loamy clay to sandy loam. This association is characterized by the dominance of Carex vesicaria, with 20-98% cover. Other graminoids can be present and can be codominant. Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex nebrascensis, Carex utriculata, Eleocharis palustris, and Glyceria spp. are some of the more common associated species. Forbs can include Epilobium sp., Galium trifidum, Camassia quamash, Symphyotrichum foliaceum, Equisetum arvense, and Mentha arvensis.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: The association needs crosswalking between stands in the Pacific Northwest states and Colorado to determine if this is the same type, thus the G4Q rank. This type appears to be a simple dominance type with Carex vesicaria and occasionally Carex utriculata as the only species of significance. Some authors have treated communities dominated by Carex vesicaria as being analogous to Carex utriculata (example Hansen et al. (1995) for Montana). Further work is needed to clarify the distribution of this type due to this treatment.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This association is characterized by the dominance of Carex vesicaria, with 20-98% cover. Other graminoids can be present and can be codominant. Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis (= Juncus balticus), Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex nebrascensis, Carex utriculata, Calamagrostis stricta, Eleocharis palustris, and Glyceria spp. are some of the more common associated species. Forbs can include Epilobium sp., Galium trifidum, Camassia quamash, Symphyotrichum foliaceum (= Aster foliaceus), Equisetum arvense, and Mentha arvensis.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  Stands of this vegetation type are commonly found in wet meadows, around the edges of montane lakes and beaver ponds, along the margins of slow-moving reaches of streams and rivers, and in marshy swales and overflow channels on broad floodplains throughout the western United States. Elevations range from 1075-2900 m (3525-9500 feet). They can occur in standing water or on sites that become relatively dry during the later part of the growing season. Many sites are located where beaver ponds have filled with sediment. A wide range of soils are associated with this association. Histosols are most common and often have organic accumulations greater than 1 meter thick. Mollisols and Entisols are also associated with this type. Soil texture varies widely from loamy clay to sandy loam.
Geographic Range: This association is known from stands throughout the montane western United States.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV?, OR, WA, WY?


Confidence Level: High

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4Q

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Nb Western North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D031 2.C.4.Nb
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nb.5 Sitka Alder - Booth''s Willow / Northwest Territory Sedge Montane Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M893 2.C.4.Nb.5
Group 2.C.4.Nb.5.b Sedge species - Reedgrass species Montane Wet Meadow & Marsh Group G521 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Alliance A3805 Nebraska Sedge - Blister Sedge - Woolly Sedge Wet Meadow Alliance A3805 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL002661 Blister Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL002661 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Carex exsiccata - Caltha leptosepala association (Odion et al. 2013)
>< Carex rostrata (Deschampsia cespitosa Phase) (Hansen et al. 1995) [Hansen states that Carex vesicaria can be intermixed or dominate some of the drier stands of Carex utriculata, with as much as 80% cover within the Desces phase. Text page 401, stand data page 404.]
= Carex vesicaria var. vesicaria (Crowe and Clausnitzer 1997)
= Carex vesicaria (Kovalchik 1987) [(p.116)]
= Carex vesicaria (Kittel et al. 1999b)
= Carex vesicaria (Sawyer et al. 2009) [45.170.01]
= Carex vesicaria Association (Crowe et al. 2004)
= Carex vesicaria Herbaceous Vegetation (Carsey et al. 2003a)
= Carex vesicaria Herbaceous Vegetation (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2012)
= Carex vesicaria Miscellaneous Unclassified Herbaceous Community (Manning and Padgett 1991) [(p. 160)]
= Carex vesicaria Plant Association (Potter 2005)
Concept Author(s): Western Ecology Group

Author of Description: T. Keeler-Wolf and G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 02-04-04
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