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Cyperus tetragonus

Ell.

Four-angle Flatsedge

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.130429
Element CodePMCYP063H0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCyperus
Other Common Names
fourangle flatsedge (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
Kartesz (1994) recognized Cyperus pringlei as distinct species from C. tetragonus, but FNA (2002b) considers them to be conspecific.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2022-10-12
Change Date2022-10-12
Edition Date2022-10-31
Edition AuthorsEberly (2022), rev. SE RSGCN Workshop (2022)
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Cyperus tetragonus is a perennial sedge that is endemic to the southeastern United States, where it occurs from eastern North Carolina south to Florida, where the species is common. Habitat loss and fragmentation threaten this species outside of protected areas.
Range Extent Comments
Cyperus tetragonus is endemic to the southeastern United States, where it occurs from eastern North Carolina south to Florida. While this species was attributed to Alabama (Woods et al. 2016), reexamination of the voucher determined the material to be Cyperus thyrsiflorus (Keener et al. 2022, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022). Range extent was estimated with GeoCAT using occurrence and photo based observation data (GBIF 2022, iNaturalist 2022, SEINet 2022, Bachman et al. 2011).
Occurrences Comments
Based on NatureServe Network occurrence data, herbarium records, photo-based observations, and anecdotal evidence, there are between 81 and 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2022, iNaturalist 2022, NatureServe 2022, SEINet 2022). It is most common in central Florida but rare to uncommon elsewhere (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Threat Impact Comments
Habitat fragmentation and loss due to development is a threat to any occurrences outside of protected areas
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species occurs in dunes and maritime forests and the margins of brackish marshes (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - MixedSand/dune
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
AlabamaS1Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
FloridaS4Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentRestricted (11-30%)Extreme - seriousHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
References (10)
  1. Bachman, S., J. Moat, A.W. Hill, J. de la Torre, and B. Scott. Supporting Red List threat assessments with GeoCAT: geospatial conservation assessment tool. In: Smith, V., and L. Penev (Eds). 2011. e-Infrastructures for data publishing in biodiversity science. ZooKeys 150:117-126. Version BETA. Accessed online: http://geocat.kew.org/editor
  2. 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.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2022. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2022).
  4. iNaturalist. 2022. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2022).
  5. 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.
  6. Keener, B.R., A.R. Diamond, T.W. Barger, L.J. Davenport, P.G. Davison, S.L. Ginzbarg, C.J. Hansen, D.D. Spaulding, J.K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2022. Alabama Plant Atlas. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research. University of South Florida]. University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.
  7. Southeastern Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need Workshop (SE RSGCN Workshop). 2022. Jon Ambrose, Keith Bradley, Malissa Briggler, John Burkhart, Emily Coffey, Todd Crabtree, Amanda Eberly, Margie Dent, Chris Doffitt, Bruce Hoagland, Amy Jenkins, Wesley Knapp, Stephanie Koontz, Lisa Kruse, David Lincicome, Gemma Milly, Sarah Norris, Carrie Radcliffe, Hanna Rosner-Katz, Al Schotz, Jason Singhurst, Diana Soteropoulos, Carlee Steppe, Samantha Tessel, John Townsend, Alan Weakley, Brenda Wichmann, and Theo Witsell. Status assessment workshop, Oct. 17-20, 2022, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2022. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2022).
  9. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2022. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 24, 2022. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2022 pp.
  10. Woods, M., A. Diamond, and J.R. Burkhalter. 2016. <i>Cyperus tetragonus</i> and <i>Desmodium triflorum</i>: New vascular plant records from Alabama. Phytoneuron 2016-59:1–4.