Home/Species/ Appalachian Sedge

Carex appalachica

J. Webber & P.W. Ball

Appalachian Sedge

G5Secure (G5?) Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

UnknownThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.145590

Element CodePMCYP03EZ0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassMonocotyledoneae

OrderCyperales

FamilyCyperaceae

GenusCarex

Other Common Names

Appalachian sedge (EN) Carex des Appalaches (FR)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2024-06-27

Change Date2024-06-27

Edition Date2024-06-27

Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)

Threat ImpactUnknown

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 to >300

Rank Reasons

Carex appalachica is a perennial sedge in deciduous and mixed forests and rock outcrops occurring in eastern North America from New Brunswick west to Ontario, Canada south through New England to the southern Appalachian Mountains in South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama in the United States. Threats include development, logging, recreational activities, deer browse, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.

Range Extent Comments

Carex appalachica occurs in eastern North America from New Brunswick west to Ontario, Canada south through New England to the southern Appalachian Mountains in western South Carolina, northern Georgia, and northeastern Alabama in the United States (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be over 700,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).

Occurrences Comments

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 250 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). This species has the frequent misapplication of the name Carex radiata (FNA 2002). is likely overlooked in photo-based observations, and anecdotal comments support the likelihood that there are over 300 occurrences rangewide.

Threat Impact Comments

Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, logging, recreational activities, deer browse, invasive species (including wild hogs), and other threats in some places.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Carex appalachica grows in "dry to mesic deciduous or mixed forests, usually on sandy or rocky soils," and rock outcrops (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest - Mixed

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Virginia	S4	Yes
Maine	SNR	Yes
Pennsylvania	SNR	Yes
West Virginia	S3	Yes
Ohio	S3	Yes
New Jersey	S3	Yes
Maryland	S1	Yes
Vermont	S4	Yes
Connecticut	SNR	Yes
New York	S5	Yes
North Carolina	SNR	Yes
New Hampshire	SNR	Yes
Massachusetts	SNR	Yes
Georgia	S1	Yes
Alabama	S1	Yes
Tennessee	S1	Yes
South Carolina	S2	Yes
Kentucky	S2	Yes

CanadaN3

Province	Rank	Native
Ontario	S2	Yes
New Brunswick	S1	Yes
Quebec	S3	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
Unknown/undetermined	—	—	—

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Georgia (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Turner Creek	Chattahoochee National Forest	1,495

References (7)

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 23. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 608 pp.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.

Carex appalachica

Habitat

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