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Carex pensylvanica

Lam.

Pennsylvania Sedge

G5Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.156980
Element CodePMCYP03AC0
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
Carex de Pennsylvanie (FR) Pennsylvania 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
This record is for a broad treatment of Carex pensylvanica as recognized by Crins and Rettig in FNA (2002, vol. 23) and Kartesz (1994, 1999), including southern taxa recognized as distinct by Weakley et al. (2025) but not yet described.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-08-12
Change Date1984-02-29
Edition Date2025-08-12
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Carex pensylvanica is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid found in hardwood woodlands or forests, forest edges, savannas, grassy balds, shale barrens, and outcrops. It occurs in eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba, Canada, south to Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in the United States. There are over 2000 estimated occurrences, which potentially face threats from development, logging, recreational activities, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Carex pensylvanica occurs in eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba, Canada, south to Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in the United States (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern United States 2025). Range extent was estimated to be over 3.8 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 2000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, logging, recreational activities, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Carex pensylvanica grows in well-drained, acidic but cation-rich, sandy, rocky, and loamy soils under hardwood woodland or forest canopies, forest edges, savannas, grassy balds, shale barrens, outcrops, and other rocky or sandy openings (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodSavannaGrassland/herbaceousBarrensBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New YorkS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
IndianaS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
MaineSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
IowaS5Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
IllinoisS3Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
ArkansasS3Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
DelawareS5Yes
MissouriS3Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Nova ScotiaS1Yes
QuebecS3Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3.5 - Motivation unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (4)
North Carolina (4)
AreaForestAcres
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
References (9)
  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). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  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. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  9. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).