Page 26 - Black Range Naturalist Vol. 4 No. 1

CBD (Center for Biological Diversity). 2020. Endangered Species Act Works: Gila Trout. https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ campaigns/esa_works/profile_pages/GilaTrout.html. Site accessed November 7, 2020.
Guaderrama, R.T (wildlife biologist, Black Range Ranger District, Gila National Forest). 2020. Personal communication.
Kleinman, R. 2020. Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness. Accessible online at https://wnmu.edu/academic/nspages/ gilaflora/index.html.
Licher, M.H., J. McGrath, W.R. Norris, & G.R. Rink. 2020. Carex, p. 69-96. IN: Flora Neomexicana III: An Illustrated Identification Manual, Part 1. lulu.com.
NMRPTC (New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council). 1999. New Mexico Rare Plants. Albuquerque, NM: New Mexico Rare Plants Home Page. https://nmrareplants.unm.edu (Latest update: 07 Nov 2020).
Norris, W.R. 2020. Personal communication.
Park, B. (GIS coordinator, Gila National Forest). 2020. Personal communication.
SEINet. Arizona-New Mexico Chapter. 2020. Accessed online Nov 2020 through specimen search: search collections. https:// swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.php#.
USACE (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). 2018. National Wetland Plant List, version 3.4. http://wetland-plants.usace.army.mil/. U.S Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH.
Wilson, B.L., R.E. Brainerd, D. Lytjen, B. Newhouse, & N. Otting. 2014. Field Guide to the Sedges of the Pacific Northwest, second edition. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR.
Recognizing the Bigleaf Sedge by Jim McGrath
The bigleaf sedge (photos right) or Carex amplifolia is in the sedge family of plants or Cyperaceae. Sedges are grass-like in appearance, but they are not grasses, which are in the grass family or Poaceae. Grasses usually have hollow culms (stems), while sedges have solid culms. The genus Carex contains 92 species in NM. The distinguishing feature of all Carex species is a sac-like structure called the perigynium which surrounds the developing ovary, which produces a single achene (the seed). The perigynium narrows to a thin tube called the beak at the top of the perigynium. The beak is open at the top, from which project the stigmas (part of the female flower). The perigynium is extremely important in Carex identification because it is always visible, while the achene is not readily visible because it is inside the perigynium. In Carex the flowers are unisexual – either male or female – and the way the male and female flowers are arranged is important in identification.
Photographs by Max Licher
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