Introductory
SPECIES: Carex livida | Pale Sedge 



ABBREVIATION : 
CARLIV

SYNONYMS : 
   Carex grayana Dewey
   Carex limosa var. livida Wahlenb.


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   CALI
   CALIG


COMMON NAMES : 
   pale sedge
   livid sedge


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientifc name of pale sedge is Carex livida
(Wahl.) Willd.  According to Hermann [4], C. livida (Wahl.) Willd. var.
grayana (Dew.) Fern. is the North American representative of the
species.  The var. livida occurs in northern Europe.  Seymour [13]
identifies the variety of C. livida occurring in Massachusetts, Maine,
and Vermont as var. grayana.  Voss [17] recognizes the variety of C.
livida occurring in Michigan as C. livida (Wahl.) Willd. var. radicaulis
Paine, which was previously considered a distinct species, Carex grayana
Dewey.  Hulten [6] recognizes the variety occurring in Alaska as C.
livida (Wahl.) Willd. var. livida but indicates that plants growing in
the southern part of the American range are var. grayana (Dew.) Fern
(=C. grayana Dew.).


LIFE FORM : 
Graminoid

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
USFS Region 1:  n ID - Watch; MT - Sensitive [15].

Pale sedge is demonstrably secure globally but critically imperiled in
Montana [14].  Pale sedge is at its periphery in Glacier National Park,
Montana [9].


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


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Williams, Tara Y. 1990. Carex livida. In: Remainder of Citation

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Carex livida | Pale Sedge 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Pale sedge is interruptedly circumboreal.  It extends from Alaska south
to western Washington, northwestern Montana, Michigan, New Jersey,
Manitoba, and Newfoundland.  It is disjunct in northwestern California
[5,7,10].

Var. grayana is distributed from Newfoundland, northern Quebec, and
Manitoba to the Aleutian Islands southward to New Jersey, Michigan,
Montana, and northwestern California.  The only known Rocky Mountain
occurrence is in Glacier National Park, Montana [4].

Occurrence in Glacier National Park:  McGee's Meadow, at about 3,000
feet (915 m), in an area near Inside Road [8].


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES17  Elm - ash - cottonwood
   FRES18  Maple - beech - birch
   FRES19  Aspen - birch
   FRES23  Spruce - fir
   FRES37  Mountain meadows


STATES : 
     AK  CA  ID  MI  MT  NJ  VT  WA  AB  BC
     MB  NB  NF  NS  NT  ON  PQ  SK  YT


ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : 
     GLAC  ISRO


BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
    2  Cascade Mountains
    4  Sierra Mountains
    8  Northern Rocky Mountains


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY


SAF COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
Pale sedge grows in boreal, cool temperate or cool mesothermic climates
[5,7,10].  It is an indicator of wet and very wet soil, a surface
groundwater table, and of soil medium rich in nitrogen [7].

VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Carex livida | Pale Sedge 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
NO-ENTRY


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Meadows containing pale sedge should be protected from trampling [8].

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Carex livida | Pale Sedge 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Pale sedge is a native perennial that grows 4 to 20 inches (10-50 cm)
tall.  It spreads by long, slender rhizomes, forming small clumps.  The
leaves are thin, pale bluish-gray, and have a waxy coating.  The
staminate and pistillate spikes are separate [5,6,10].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Undisturbed State:  Cryptophyte (geophyte)
   Burned or Clipped State:  Cryptophyte (geophyte)


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Pale sedge regenerates primarily by rhizome spread [5,10] but can also
reproduce by sexual means [2].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Pale sedge grows in cold, calcareous bogs, poorly drained lowlands, and
wet peaty ground at low elevations in foothill and submontane zones.
The species is shade intolerant.  Plant associates may include sphagnum
moss (Sphagnum spp.), other sedges (Carex spp.), alpine clubmoss
(Lycopodium alpinum), and simple kobresia (Kobresia simpliciuscula)
[5,7,8,10,18].

Pale sedge occurs at elevations of 2,800 to 6,000 feet (850-1,850 m) in
Montana and in mountains up to 2,200 feet (710 m) in Alaska [2,4,15,18].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
In northwestern Montana, pale sedge flowers from May to July, and fruit
matures from late June to early August [8].

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Carex livida | Pale Sedge 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
NO-ENTRY

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Carex livida | Pale Sedge 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
NO-ENTRY


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
NO-ENTRY


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Carex livida | Pale Sedge 



REFERENCES : 

 .  Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
       reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
       associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
       U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. 
       [434]

 .  Dittberner, Phillip L.; Olson, Michael R. 1983. The plant information
       network (PIN) data base: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and
       Wyoming. FWS/OBS-83/86. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior,
       Fish and Wildlife Service. 786 p.  [806]

 .  Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
       1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
       ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p.  [998]

 .  Hermann, Frederick J. 1970. Manual of the Carices of the Rocky Mountains
       and Colorado Basin. Agric. Handb. 374. Washington, DC: U.S. Department
       of Agriculture, Forest Service. 397 p.  [1139]

 .  Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur; Ownbey, Marion. 1969. Vascular
       plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 1: Vascular cryptograms,
       gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Seattle, WA: University of Washington
       Press. 914 p.  [1169]

 .  Hulten, Eric. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories.
       Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1008 p.  [13403]

 .  Klinka, K.; Krajina, V. J.; Ceska, A.; Scagel, A. M. 1989. Indicator
       plants of coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: University of British
       Columbia Press. 288 p.  [10703]

 .  Lesica, Peter. 1984. Rare vascular plants of Glacier National Park,
       Montana. Missoula, MT: University of Montana, Department of Botany. 27
       p.  [12049]

 .  Lesica, P.; Moore, G.; Peterson, K. M.; Rumely, J. H. (Montana Rare
       Plant Project). 1984. Vascular plants of limited distribution in
       Montana. Monograph No. 2. Montana Academy of Sciences, Supplement to the
       Proceedings, Volume 43. Bozman, MT: Montana State University, Montana
       Academy of Sciences. 61 p.  [11656]

.  Moss, E. H. 1955. The vegetation of Alberta. Botanical Review. 21(9):
       493-567.  [6878]

.  Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
       geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p.  [2843]

.  Roland, A. E.; Smith, E. C. 1969. The flora of Nova Scotia. Halifax, NS:
       Nova Scotia Museum. 746 p.  [13158]

.  Voss, Edward G. 1972. Michigan flora. Part I. Gymnosperms and monocots.
       Bloomfield Hills, MI: Cranbrook Institute of Science; Ann Arbor, MI:
       University of Michigan Herbarium. 488 p.  [11471]

.  Shelly, J. Stephen, compiler. 1990. Plant species of special concern.
       Helena, MT: Montana Natural Heritage Program. 20 p.  [12960]

.  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Region. 1988.
       Sensitive plant field guide [Montana]. Missoula, MT.  [12279]

.  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
       National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
       SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p.  [11573]

.  Voss, Edward G. 1972. Michigan flora. Part I. Gymnosperms and monocots.
       Bloomfield Hills, MI: Cranbrook Institute of Science; Ann Arbor, MI:
       University of Michigan Herbarium. 488 p.  [11471]

.  Young, Steven B. 1969. Additions to the flora of Saint Lawrence Island,
       Alaska. Rhodora. 71: 502-509.  [13201]

.  Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
       Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p.  [905]

.  Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
       of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
       American Geographical Society. 77 p.  [1384]

.  Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
       Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
       Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p.  [20090]

Related categories for Species: Carex livida | Pale Sedge