Introductory
SPECIES: Carex lenticularis var. dolia | Kellog's Sedge 



ABBREVIATION : 
CARLEND

SYNONYMS : 
   Carex plectocarpa F.J.Hermann
   Carex enanderi Hulten
   Carex eurystachya F.J.Hermann
   Carex goodenovii var. dolia M.E. Jones


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   CALED


COMMON NAMES : 
   Kellog's sedge
   Kellogg sedge
   goose-grass sedge
   lentil-fruit sedge
   swamp sedge


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name of Kellog's sedge is Carex
lenticularis var. dolia (M. E.Jones) L. A. Standley.  The following
other varieties of C. lenticularis are recognized [22]:

C. lenticularis var. lenticularis
C. lenticularis var. dolia       
C. lenticularis var. impressa   
C. lenticularis var. limnophila  
C. lenticularis var. lipocarpa   

Carex eleusinoides has long been confused with C. lenticularis var.
dolia due to superficial similarities of some morphological
characteristics [22].  Carex eleusinoides is confined to Alaska and
Siberia and does not occur in the Pacific Northwest, as reported by
Hitchcock and Cronquist [11].


LIFE FORM : 
Graminoid

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
Notice of Review, Category 2

OTHER STATUS : 
USFS Region 1 Status:  MT - Watch List [23].
MT Natural Heritage Program State Rank:  S1 - Critically imperiled in
     Montana because of extreme rarity [21].
MT Natural Heritage Program Global Rank:  G5T2 - Demonstrably secure
     globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range,
     especially at the periphery [21].
Listed on the Rare and Endangered list for Alaska (as both C. enanderi
     and C. plectocarpa) [22].


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Tara Y. Williams/September 1990


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
William C. Fischer, February 1991


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Williams, Tara Y.; Fischer, William C. 1991. Carex lenticularis var.
dolia. In: Remainder of Citation

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Carex lenticularis var. dolia | Kellog's Sedge 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Carex lenticularis var. dolia occurs in the Coast Mountains of Alaska
and British Columbia and in the Rocky Mountains from Jasper, British
Columbia, south to Glacier National Park [22].  Occurrence in Glacier
National Park, according to Lesica [14] (referring to C. eleusinoides),
is near Hidden Lake Overlook in the Logan Pass area, Mt. Reynolds, and
Sperry Glacier.  Hermann [10] (referring to C. plectocarpa) listed only
the Hidden Lake Overlook, Logan Pass type locality for Glacier National
Park, and Roberts Peak, Juneau as the single Alaska locality.

Carex lenticularis var. lenticularis is the common form of the species
in eastern and northern North America.  It rarely occurs in western
North America except on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in
Idaho and Montana and in the Flathead Lake region of Montana.  C.
lenticularis var. impressa is most abundant in the Sierra Nevada and the
Siskiyou Mountains but is also found in the volcanic peaks of Oregon,
the Wallowa Mountains, Mt. Baker, and the Sawtooth Mountains (WA, OR,
CA, ID UT).  C. lenticularis var. limnophila occurs near the coast from
the Aleutian Islands south to Humboldt County, California (AK, WA, OR,
CA, BC).  C. lenticularis var. lipocarpa, the most common form of the
species in western North America, is widely distributed from the Alaskan
Peninsula south to Tulare County, California, and east to the Rocky
Mountains (CA, NV, UT, CO, WY, MT, ID, OR, WA, AK, BC, AB).


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES44  Alpine


STATES : 
     AK  MT  AB  BC  YT


ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : 
     GLAC


BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
   8  Northern Rocky Mountains


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K052  Alpine meadows and barren


SAF COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
Information relating to C. lenticularis var. dolia is generally lacking.

A Carex lenticularis riparian dominance type is recognized for Montana
[8].  This type is described as occurring at mid to high elevations in
western and central Montana and as an occasional dominant of subalpine
meadows in Glacier National Park.  In this type, C. lenticularis is
often codominant with C. aquatilis and C. rostrata; scattered clumps of
Salix wolfii and Betula glandulosa may be present.  Drier extremes of
this type may contain small amounts of Deschampsia spp., Juncus
balticus, and Aster foliaceus.  Subsequent classification of riparian
and wetland sites in Montana has identified C. lenticularis as an
indicator for C. aquatilis phases of the C. rostrata and C. aquatilis
riparian site types in southwestern Montana [9] and as an indicator for
C. aquatilis and Deschampsia cespitosa phases of the C. aquatilis
habitat type for northwestern Montana [3] and for central and eastern
Montana [7].

Similarly, C. lenticularis is identified as dominant or codominant in a
C. aquatilis community type in the wetland community type classification
for west-central Montana [18].  The forest habitat type associated with
the C. aquatilis community type is Pinus albicaulis/Abies lasiocarpa
[17].

Based on Standley [22], the above classifications probably involved C.
lenticularis var. lipocarpa and perhaps some var. lenticularis (in
northwestern Montana) rather than var. dolia.

VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Carex lenticularis var. dolia | Kellog's Sedge 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Wet site conditions and limited extent reduce potential grazing value
[8].  Carex lenticularis (probably C. l. var. lipocarpa) production of
1,260 to 2,540 pounds per acre (1,413-2,848 kg/ha) was measured for a
water sedge community type in west-central Montana [18].  Carex
lenticularis is able to produce a greater yield of dry plant material
than most other species of the same life form [3,7,9].  Carex
lenticularis var. lipocarpa is commonly eaten by stock when other feed
is scarce, and one report from Idaho indicates that sheep thrive on it [10].


PALATABILITY : 
Palatability of Carex lenticularis is poorly documented; information
related to var. dolia was not found.


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
C. lenticularis is rated as maintaining usable energy value and
digestible protein value moderately well for livestock and wildlife
during fall and winter compared with other species of similiar life form
[3,7].


COVER VALUE : 
Carex lenticularis is rarely or never utilized for thermal or feeding cover
by upland game birds and moderately utilized for such cover by
waterfowl, small nongame birds, and small mammals [3,7,9].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
The value of Carex lenticularis var. dolia for rehabilitation of
disturbed sites is not well documented; available information is at the
species level.

Carex lenticularis has been utilized successfully for rehabilitation of
disturbed alpine sites [4].  Because of its pioneering habit [19], it
has been recommended for revegetating eroded streambanks and wet meadows
at higher eleveations in western Montana [8].  Carex lenticularis has
been rated as having medium erosion control potential because of its
moderately aggressive growth, moderately persistent plant structure,
moderate potential biomass, and moderate soil-binding rhizome system in
established stands.  It has been rated as having medium short-term
revegetation potential because of its moderately rapid growth, fair
cover, and fair reproduction; and medium long-term revegetation
potential because it demonstrates fair growth, cover, reproduction, and
stand maintenance characteristics [3,7,9].

Dormant C. lenticularis appeared unaffected by a winter oil spill in
Canada and apparently benefited from the elimination of affected
competitors [1].  Evidently the roots of C. lenticularis were undamaged
because they remained saturated by soil water while the oil hydrocarbons
floated on the water at the soil surface [1].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Carex lenticularis var. dolia | Kellog's Sedge 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Carex lenituclaris var. dolia is a perennial sedge that grows in dense,
low tufts from ascending rhizomes and forms clumps up to 10 inches (25
cm) in diameter.  Plants are 1 to 13 inches (2-34 cm) tall; aerial stems
are wider toward the base and narrower toward the tip.  Leaves of the
rhizome and the base of the aerial stem are reduced and scalelike,
somewhat leathery, brown, and without hair.  Flowering stems are usually
nodding or more often prostrate on the ground.  Dried leaves of the
previous year persist at the base of the plant.  The terminal
(gynecandrous) spike has both male (staminate) and female (pistillate)
flowers, the male only at the base (below the female).  The perigynia
(fruit) are ovate and have a very short beak.  The difference in
perigynium morphology distinguishes C. lenticularis var. dolia from the
occasional gynecandrous specimen of var. lipocarpa [10,22,23].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Hemicryptophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Carex lenituclaris var. dolia reproduces from seed and rhizomes [5].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Carex lenticularis var. dolia occurs in wet meadows and along lakeshores
at 4,930 to 9,965 feet (1,500-3,000 m) [22] and in shallow, wet, stony
soil around streams and seeps in the alpine zone at elevations of 6,700
to 8,000 feet (2,040-2,440 m) [23].  It has also been reported in wet,
boggy or mossy ground near or above timberline (6,500 to 8,000 feet
[1,980-2,438 m]) [14].

The Carex lenticularis var. dolia population in Glacier National Park
occurs along the peaty edge of a large pond in an alpine meadow at 7,300
feet (2,225 m).  When found in 1964, it comprised an extensive colony
along the edge of the pond, but by 1966 the colony had dwindled to a
fraction of its former size [10].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Obligate Initial Community Species

Carex lenticularis (probably C. l. var. lipocarpa) is described as a
pioneer species that invades water's edge in Utah [19].  In Carex
aquatilis habitat types of northwestern Montana, C. lenticularis, along
with C.  aquatilis, appears to function as a pioneer colonizer of
exposed mineral substrates, such as those created when a beaver dam
breaks, and will persist indefinately.  High water tables and a vigorous
network of C.  lenituclaris and C. aquatilis rhizomes limit the
successful establishment of most other species [3].
 


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Mature achenes are present from late August through mid-September [22].
Mature fruit are found in late July and August [14,23].

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Carex lenticularis var. dolia | Kellog's Sedge 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Persistent high water tables throughout the growing season generally
tends either to preclude fire spread into C. lenticularis communities or
minimize the severity of fires that do occur.


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Carex lenticularis var. dolia | Kellog's Sedge 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
In general, fires that burn in Carex lenticularis communities will
reduce litter accumulations and aboveground plant material.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Fire in C. lenticularis communities generally results in a temporary
increase in productivity.  Species composition will not drastically
change from dominance or codominance by C. lenticularis (and/or C.
aquatilis) [3,7,9].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Montana wetland and riparian types containing C. lenticularis as a major
component are suited to prescribed burning.  Nonuse by livestock during
the year prior to burning is essential.  Residual cover burns well in
spring, prior to the growing season [3,7,9].

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Carex lenticularis var. dolia | Kellog's Sedge 



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Related categories for Species: Carex lenticularis var. dolia | Kellog's Sedge