Carex alma

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Poales

Familia: Cyperaceae
Subfamilia: Cyperoideae
Tribus: Cariceae
Genus: Carex
Species: Carex alma
Name

Carex alma L.H.Bailey, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 1: 50 (1889).
Synonyms

Heterotypic
Carex vitrea Holm, Amer. J. Sci., ser. 4, 17: 302 (1904).
Carex agrostoides Mack., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 34: 607 (1907 publ. 1908).
Carex arizonensis C.B.Clarke, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew, Addit. Ser. 8: 68 (1908), nom. illeg.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Northern America
Regional: Southwestern U.S.A.
Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas
Regional: Mexico
Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Bailey, L.H. 1889. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 1: 50 (1889)

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Carex alma in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Dec 13. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Carex alma. Published online. Accessed: Dec 13 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Carex alma. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 13 Dec 2019.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Carex alma in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Vernacular names
English: sturdy sedge

Carex alma is a species of sedge known by the common name sturdy sedge. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in moist spots in a number of habitat types. This sedge forms a thick clump of thin stems up to 90 centimeters in length and long, thready leaves. The leaves have basal sheaths with conspicuous red coloration, often spotting. The inflorescence is a dense to open cluster of many spikelets occurring both at the ends of stems and at nodes. Each cluster is up to 15 centimeters long and 1 to 2 wide. The plant is sometimes dioecious, with an individual sedge bearing either male or female flowers. The female, pistillate flowers have white or white-edged bracts. The male, staminate flowers have visible anthers 2 millimeters long or longer. The fruit is coated in a sac called a perigynium which is gold to dark brown in color and has a characteristic bit of spongy tissue at the base.