Participant Info

Species

Carex occidentalis [Carex hookeriana var. occidentalis] [Carex neomexicana]

Family

Cyperaceeae

CommonName

western sedge

Presence

yes

Status

native

EarliestDate

1935

LatestDate

2017

Ecosystem

montane, subalpine, tundra

Geobotanical

SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, NCristos

Counties

Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, Archuleta

Passes

WildlifePreserves

Other Localities

La Botica

PhotoRecords

Comments

NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. Western sedge has been recorded fairly often from the Watershed, usually in drier habitat than most sedges, often in foothill meadows. It is present in all mountain ranges except for the Culebras. In the lower USA, the distribution of Carex occidentalis centers in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, with uncommon locations in surrounding states. Allred et al. (2020) say it is the most common species of sedge in New Mexico. It follows the Rio Grande drainage into the western tip of Texas but no farther down stream.

Annotation