Carex peckii

Howe

White-tinged Sedge

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.137492
Element CodePMCYP03A90
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCarex
Synonyms
Carex nigromarginata var. elliptica(Boott) Gleason
Other Common Names
Carex de Peck (FR) Peck's sedge (EN) Peck'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 Date2025-08-12
Change Date2010-02-22
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 peckii is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid found in occurs in deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands, bases of slopes, or on exposed outcrops. It occurs in boreal North America from Alaska, United States, the Northwest Territories and British Columbia east to Nova Scotia, Canada, and south to New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado. There are over 500 estimated occurrences, which face threats from development, livestock grazing, 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 peckii occurs in boreal North America from Alaska, United States, the Northwest Territories and British Columbia east to Nova Scotia, Canada, south to northern New Jersey, northern Ohio (possibly extirpated), southern Michigan, southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Range extent was estimated to be over 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 500 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by development, livestock grazing, recreational activities, invasive species, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species (NatureServe 2025). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and affinity for typically abundant habitats.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Carex peckii grows in "mainly calcareous soils on dry to mesic slopes, in partial shade in rich, deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous, open woods, bases of slopes, or full sun on exposed outcrops" (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedBarrens
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlaskaS2Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
OhioSHYes
NebraskaS3Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
IowaS3Yes
ColoradoS2Yes
MaineSNRYes
New YorkS4Yes
WyomingS2Yes
MichiganSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
MassachusettsSHYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
New JerseyS1Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
SaskatchewanS4Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS2Yes
QuebecS4Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS3Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
Threat Assessments

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wood LakeSuperior National Forest596
References (8)
  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. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  8. 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).