Print Report

A3822 Carex obnupta Wet Meadow Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: Wet meadows with seasonally saturated soils through most of the growing season dominated by Carex obnupta or Juncus effusus in coastal and low-elevation valleys of Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Slough Sedge Wet Meadow Alliance

Colloquial Name: Slough Sedge Wet Meadow

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This wet meadow alliance is dominated by Carex obnupta or Juncus effusus or Juncus falcatus; other species may codominate, such as Juncus patens, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis, and Argentina egedii ssp. egedii. These meadows have seasonally saturated soils, occur on gentle slopes of all aspects, in basins, bottoms and plains that collect water during the rainy season and usually hold water or have saturated soils through most of the growing season. It is found in Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Wetlands dominated by Carex obnupta or Juncus effusus.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Juncus effusus var. brunneus and Juncus effusus var. gracilis are restricted to the Pacific coast.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Vegetation of this is dominated by herbaceous plants less than 2 m tall.

Floristics: Meadows are dominated by Carex obnupta or Juncus effusus var. brunneus or Juncus effusus var. gracilis and may have other species codominate such as Juncus patens, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis (= Juncus balticus), and Argentina egedii ssp. egedii. Associated species may include Andropogon glomeratus, Apios americana, Cyperus spp., Galium aparine, Scirpus cyperinus, Triadenum walteri, and Typha latifolia.

Dynamics:  Unknown.
Environmental Description:  This alliance occurs at low and mid elevations along coastal and low-elevation valleys. It occurs on seasonally saturated soils on gentle slopes of all aspects, occurring in basins, bottoms and plains that collect water during the rainy season and usually hold water or have saturated soils throughout most of the growing season. These communities are most characteristically seasonally flooded, but in some cases, examples may be only temporarily or semipermanently flooded. This zone stays inundated with water for the majority of the year. Soils are mucky with high organic matter under fresh to saline water.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  BC, CA, OR, WA


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

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.4 Vancouverian Lowland Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M073 2.C.4.Nb.4
Group 2.C.4.Nb.4.b Bering''s Tufted Hairgrass - Pacific Silverweed - Slough Sedge Vancouverian Freshwater Coastal Marsh & Wet Meadow Group G517 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Alliance A3822 Slough Sedge Wet Meadow Alliance A3822 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Association CEGL001570 Falcate Rush - Cows Clover Wet Meadow CEGL001570 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Association CEGL001820 Slough Sedge - Pacific Silverweed Wet Meadow CEGL001820 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Association CEGL003185 Coyotebrush / Slough Sedge - Spreading Rush Shrubland CEGL003185 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Association CEGL003313 Slough Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL003313 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Association CEGL003317 Lamp Rush Pacific Coast Wet Meadow CEGL003317 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Association CEGL003379 Slough Sedge - Spreading Rush Wet Meadow CEGL003379 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Association CEGL003413 Baltic Rush - Slough Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL003413 2.C.4.Nb.4.b
Concept Lineage: A.1375 and A.2582

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Carex obnupta (Slough sedge swards) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [45.183.00]
> Juncus (effusus, patens) Herbaceous Alliance (Rodriguez et al. 2017)
< Juncus effusus (Soft rush marshes) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [45.561.00]
< Juncus effusus Alliance (Soft rush marshes) (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
Concept Author(s): J.A. Christy (2004); J.O. Sawyer T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens (2009)

Author of Description: G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-08-14
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  • Christy, J. A. 2004. Native freshwater wetland plant associations of northwestern Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Oregon State University, Portland, OR.
  • Condor Environmental Services, Inc. 2007. Rapid Assessment plot data from Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve, Appendix 6. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA.
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  • Kartesz, J. T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: J. T. Kartesz and C. A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • Klein, A., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2015. Classification of the vegetation alliances and associations of Sonoma County, California. Volume 2 of 2. Vegetation descriptions. California Department of Fish and Wildlife Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program and the California Native Plant Society Vegetation Program. 690 pp.
  • Rodriguez, D., K. G. Sikes, T. Keeler-Wolf, G. Kittel, J. Curtis, C. Curley, and J. Evens. 2017. Vegetation classification of Channel Islands National Park. Report to the National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
  • Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
  • Zika, P. F. 2016. Juncus phaeocephalus var. phaeocephalus. Jepson Flora Project, editors. Jepson eFlora. [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=60393] (accessed February 17, 2016).