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Scleria verticillata

Muhl. ex Willd.

Low Nutrush

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.139233
Element CodePMCYP0R0S0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusScleria
Other Common Names
low nutrush (EN) Savanna Nutrush (EN) Sclérie verticillée (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.
Taxonomic Comments
Scleria verticillata here follows Kartesz (1994), Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002), Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team (2023), among others. The specimens attributed to S. verticillata from Mexico and South America are most likely other taxa, such as S. hirtella or S. tenella (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2002, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023), which are also recognized in Kartesz (1994).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-04-04
Change Date1993-05-31
Edition Date2024-04-04
Edition AuthorsWeakley, A.S. (1994), rev. C. Nordman (2024).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
The Low Nutrush (Scleria verticillata) occurs in eastern North America, in the United States and Canada from Massachusetts and Ontario west to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas. It occurs in wet grasslands, fens, and wet calcareous pine savannas. Threats include the loss of habitat due to alteration and drainage of wetlands, such as may be associated with residential and commercial development. It occurs on National Forests, National Parks, State Parks, and State Forests, throughout its range, but especially in Florida.
Range Extent Comments
The Low Nutrush (Scleria verticillata) occurs in eastern North America, in the United States and Canada from Massachusetts and Ontario west to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas. Range extent was estimated to be 4.1 million square kilometers, using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1993 and 2024. The specimens attributed to S. verticillata from Mexico and South America are most likely other taxa, such as S. hirtella or S. tenella (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2002, GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
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 300 occurrences of Low Nutrush (Scleria verticillata) rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats include the loss of habitat due to alteration and drainage of wetlands, such as may be associated with residential and commercial development.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Low Nutrush (Scleria verticillata) occurs in wet, marly, sandy, or peaty soils, in freshwater marshes, fens, and wet meadows, at elevations up to 400 meters (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2002), in the southeastern United States it occurs in "wet calcareous pine savannas of the outer Coastal Plain, maritime wet grasslands on barrier islands influenced by salt spray and shell deposits, wet calcareous or mafic fens or seepages in the mountains, calcareous grasslands, also apparently spreading to ditches along Coastal Plain 'marl' roads (made from coquina limestone gravel). This species is a distinct calciphile, with only scattered occurrences in most of the southeastern United States, north of Florida" (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Savanna
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDBog/fen
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
LouisianaS1Yes
OhioS3Yes
South CarolinaS1Yes
IndianaS3Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
North CarolinaS2Yes
ConnecticutSHYes
FloridaS4Yes
ArkansasS1Yes
MissouriS3Yes
New YorkS1Yes
VirginiaS2Yes
MichiganSNRYes
TennesseeS2Yes
MinnesotaS2Yes
MarylandS1Yes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
WisconsinS2Yes
New JerseyS1Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
IllinoisS2Yes
OklahomaS1Yes
TexasS1Yes
MississippiS1Yes
IowaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
References (9)
  1. Coffin, B., and L. Pfannmuller, editors. 1988. Minnesota's endangered flora and fauna. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 473 pp.
  2. Dodds, J. 2022. Scleria verticillata Rare Plant Profile. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites, State Forest Fire Service & Forestry, Office of Natural Lands Management, New Jersey Natural Heritage Program, Trenton, NJ. 15 pp. [https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/docs/scleria-verticillate-whorled-nut-rush.pdf]
  3. 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.
  4. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  5. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  6. 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.
  7. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  9. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.