Carex aquatilis

Wahlenb.

Water Sedge

G5Secure Found in 29 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.131510
Element CodePMCYP030V0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCarex
Other Common Names
Aquatic Sedge (EN) Carex aquatique (FR) water 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 Date2024-07-10
Change Date1984-02-24
Edition Date2024-07-10
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Carex aquatilis is a wide-ranging, circumboreal, perennial graminoid in a variety of wetland habitats occurring in North America from Alaska, United States and Canada south to California east to New Mexico, Kansas east to Virginia and North Carolina and Eurasia. It is a variable species with four extensively intergrading varieties in North America which hybridize with each other and other species where they co-occur. Threats include invasive species, agriculture, 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 aquatilis is circumboreal, occurring in North America from Alaska, United States and Canada south to California east to New Mexico, Kansas east to Virginia and North Carolina and Eurasia (FNA 2002). It is a variable species with four extensively intergrading varieties... recognized in North America" (FNA 2002).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 2004 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over thousands of occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by invasive species, agriculture, 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 aquatilis grows in marshes, bogs, wet meadows, shallow water along shores, wet tundra, in calcareous, neutral, or acidic substrates (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Tundra
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South DakotaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
IndianaS3Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
WyomingS5Yes
North CarolinaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
ArizonaS2Yes
West VirginiaSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
AlaskaSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
OhioS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS2Yes
VirginiaSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
ColoradoS5Yes
NevadaS2Yes
OregonSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
MontanaS5Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
VermontS3Yes
MissouriSNRYes
IowaS3Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
UtahSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
NunavutS5Yes
LabradorS4Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS3Yes
QuebecSNRYes
OntarioS5Yes
Threat Assessments

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (29)
Alaska (2)
AreaForestAcres
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
LindenbergTongass National Forest25,855
Colorado (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bristol HeadRio Grande NF46,087
Comanche Peak Adjacent AreaArapaho & Roosevelt NFs44,158
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
Long ParkRoutt NF42,100
Red TableWhite River NF39,122
San MiguelSan Juan NF64,263
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
Montana (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
Lincoln GulchHelena National Forest8,250
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Latir PeakCarson National Forest3,573
PecosCarson National Forest13,436
Pecos WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest5,396
Oregon (9)
AreaForestAcres
CornpatchWillamette National Forest7,346
Maiden PeakDeschutes National Forest26,432
Maiden PeakWillamette National Forest9,627
Roaring RiverMt. Hood National Forest27,316
Waldo - FujiWillamette National Forest15,273
Waldo - LakeWillamette National Forest2,993
Waldo - Salmon CreekWillamette National Forest3,195
West - South BachelorDeschutes National Forest25,994
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Utah (4)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
Fishlake MountainFishlake National Forest25,217
HancockDixie National Forest9,809
Little West Fork BlacksWasatch-Cache National Forest8,209
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mt. Baker WestMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest25,390
References (6)
  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).