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Carex sprengelii

Dewey ex Spreng.

Longbeak Sedge

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.146032
Element CodePMCYP03CT0
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 Sprengel (FR) Long-beaked Sedge (EN) Sprengel's sedge (EN) Sprengel'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 Date2025-08-18
Change Date2010-01-31
Edition Date2025-08-18
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 sprengelii is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid found in a variety of habitats, including deciduous and mixed forests, floodplain forests and riverbanks, lakeshores, limestone river bluffs, meadows, and roadsides. It occurs in northern North America from Alaska, United States, and British Columbia east to New Brunswick, Canada, south to Delaware and Pennsylvania west to Missouri, Nebraska, and New Mexico in the United States. There are over 1200 estimated occurrences, which face threats from development, conversion to agriculture, rights-of-way maintenance, 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 sprengelii occurs in northern North America from Alaska, United States, and British Columbia east to New Brunswick, Canada, south to Delaware and Pennsylvania west to Missouri, Nebraska, and New Mexico in the United States (FNA 2002, Heil and O'Kane 2025, 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 1200 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, conversion to agriculture, rights-of-way maintenance, logging, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), 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 sprengelii grows in "dry to mesic deciduous forests and forest openings, floodplain forests and riverbanks, lakeshores, limestone river bluffs, mixed conifer-hardwood forests, thickets, meadows, [and] roadsides, often associated with calcareous rocks and soils" (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedForest EdgeShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousCliff
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS3Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
British ColumbiaS3Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
PennsylvaniaS3Yes
AlaskaS1Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
OhioS2Yes
New YorkS5Yes
NebraskaSNRYes
ColoradoS2Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
WyomingS3Yes
DelawareSHYes
MontanaS3Yes
New JerseyS4Yes
IndianaS3Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
MissouriS2Yes
IowaS4Yes
MichiganSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownUnknown
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
4.1 - Roads & railroadsUnknownUnknownUnknown
4.2 - Utility & service linesUnknownUnknownUnknown
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 (3)
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
Norwich Plains Revised Roadless AreaOttawa National Forest4,360
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
Wisconsin (1)
AreaForestAcres
09154 - St. Peters DomeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest4,002
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. Heil, K.D., and S.L. O'Kane. 2025. Vascular plants of New Mexico. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. 1119 pp.
  4. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  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. 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).