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Carex striata

Michx.

Walter's Sedge

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.129747
Element CodePMCYP03EQ0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCarex
Synonyms
Carex walterianaBailey
Other Common Names
Peatland Sedge (EN) Walter's 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.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-07-09
Change Date2024-07-09
Edition Date2024-07-09
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Carex striata is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid in a variety of wetlands occurring in the eastern United States from New Hampshire and New York south to Florida and west to Mississippi with two varieties. Threats include succession, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), development, water pollution, hydrological alteration, and likely other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Carex striata occurs in the eastern United States from New Hampshire and New York south to Florida and west to Mississippi (FNA 2002). See individual entries for distribution details about the two varieties. Range extent was estimated to be over 1.1 million 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 140 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by succession, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), development, water pollution, hydrological alteration, and likely other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand the scope and severity of threats for this taxon.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Carex striata grows in "open swamps, sedge meadows, bogs, boggy depressions, in acidic, often peaty soils," including "pocosins, limesink ponds, small depression ponds, clay-based Carolina bays, acid peaty swamps, wet savannas (dominated by Pinus serotina and/or Taxodium ascendens)" (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fen
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
DelawareSNRYes
New YorkS2Yes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
VirginiaS3Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
New HampshireS1Yes
South CarolinaSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
MississippiS4Yes
MarylandSNRYes
MassachusettsS1Yes
New JerseySNRYes
AlabamaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Pocosin AdditionCroatan National Forest286
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
References (7)
  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. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. 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.
  5. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  7. 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.