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Carex austrolucorum

(Rettig) D.B. Poind. & Naczi

Blue Ridge Sedge

G3Vulnerable (G3G4) Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.142836
Element CodePMCYP037R1
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCarex
Synonyms
Carex lucorum ssp. austrolucorum(Rettig) A. HainesCarex lucorum var. austrolucorumJ. Rettig
Other Common Names
Blue Ridge sedge (EN)
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.
Taxonomic Comments
Poindexter and Naczi (2014) elevate Carex lucorum var. austrolucorum to full species level based on multivariate analyses and analyses of variance of measured characters, allopatry, and previous studies revealing differences in achene micromorphology, chromosome differences, and flavonoid chemistry. Crins and Rettig in FNA (2002, vol. 23) and Kartesz (1994, 1999) recognized it as a variety of C. lucorum.
Conservation Status
Review Date2009-02-04
Change Date2009-02-04
Rank Reasons
Possibly rare or just overlooked: easily mistaken for the ubiquitous Carex pennsylvanica in the southern Blue Ridge.
Range Extent Comments
Carex lucorum var. austrolucorum is endemic to the Southern Appalachians, ranging from southwestern Virginia south through western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee to northwestern South Carolina and northeastern Georgia (Weakley, April 2008 Draft).
Ecology & Habitat
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaS3Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
South CarolinaS3Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
West VirginiaS2Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
References (5)
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  4. Poindexter, D.B. and R.F.C. Naczi. 2014. Taxonomy and geographic distribution of <i>Carex lucorum</i> var. <i>austrolucorum</i> (section Acrocystis, Cyperaceae). Brittonia 66: 358-370.
  5. Weakley, A. S. 2008. Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, northern Florida, and surrounding areas. Working Draft of 7 April 2008. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Online. Available: http://herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm (Accessed 2008).