caused disturbances. As a result of 1992 

 fieldwork and status re-evaluation, its status 

 will be changed to S2 ; imperiled within Montana. 

 Neither the above rank or status provide any legal 

 protection for this species within the state of 

 Montana. 



C. DESCRIPTION 



1. GENERAL NONTECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: A perennial rush 



to 16 in. tall with densely clustered, round stems 

 (Figure 11) . The lower leaves and those at the 

 plant's base have brown sheaths encircling the 

 stems. The sheaths lack leaf blades entirely or 

 have a bristle. The upper leaves have leaf blades 

 which are up to 6 in. long, rolled and grooved on 

 the inner surface, and lack partitions. The 

 flowering stalk appears to have a stem which 

 usually surpasses the entire stalk. However what 

 appears to be the stem is actually a rounded, 

 leaflike bract. The flowers are few (1-7) per 

 cluster and on short stalks. The petal-like 

 structures are small (less than h in. long) , light 

 brown with thin translucent margins, and pointed 

 at the tip. The outer ones are somewhat larger 

 than the inner. The fruit is dark brown, about as 

 long as the flower, and notched on the otherwise 

 rounded tip. The seeds are minute, with tails at 

 either end of the spindle-shaped, lightly lined 

 body. 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Caespitose perennial 2-3 (-4) 



dm tall, stems terete; basal leaves and those on 

 the lower fifth of the stem bladeless or with a 

 bristle-like blade, lowest sheaths brownish; 

 upper leaves with blades to 15 cm long, the blades 

 terete but channeled on the adaxial surface and 

 not septate; inflorescence appearing lateral: the 

 lowest involucral bract terete, leaflike, 

 appearing to be a continuation of the stem, 

 exceeding the flowers, but usually not exceeded by 

 the inflorescence, if exceeded by the 

 inflorescence, then the inflorescence appearing 

 terminal; flowers (l-)2-6(-7), closely cymose, but 

 plainly pedicullate; perianth segments 4-5 mm 

 long, light brown, membranous-margined, acute, the 

 outer series slightly longer; stamens 6, the 

 anthers scarcely 1 mm long, subequal to the 

 filaments; capsule dark brown, equalling or 

 slightly exceeding the perianth, distinctly retuse 

 at the otherwise rounded tip; seeds about 1 mm 

 long, with an appendage at each end about half as 



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