Home/Species/ Dusky-seed Sedge

Carex pelocarpa

F.J. Herm.

Dusky-seed Sedge

G4Apparently Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank

UnknownThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150843

Element CodePMCYP03AB0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassMonocotyledoneae

OrderCyperales

FamilyCyperaceae

GenusCarex

Synonyms

Carex nova var. pelocarpa(F.J. Herm.) Dorn

Other Common Names

duskyseed 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 Date2025-03-05

Change Date2025-03-05

Edition Date1998-10-25

Edition AuthorsStoner, N.; Rev. C. Annable (1993), rev. L. Morse (1995, 1998), rev. N. Ventrella (2025)

Threat ImpactUnknown

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences21 - 80

Rank Reasons

Carex pelocarpa is a perennial sedge occurring on alpine slopes, ridges, lakeshores, streambanks, and meadows of the western United States from Oregon, Idaho, and Montana south to Colorado and Nevada. There are an estimated 57 occurrences of this taxon, which are potentially threatened by development, invasive species, rights-of-way maintenance, recreation, climate change, and other threats in some places. Little is known about threats and trends, and monitoring populations is important to improving our understanding of the status of Carex pelocarpa.

Range Extent Comments

Carex pelocarpa occurs in western North America, from Oregon, Idaho, and Montana south to Colorado and Nevada in the United States (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 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 57 occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).

Threat Impact Comments

Although threats are not widely documented, Carex pelocarpa is potentially threatened by development, invasive species, rights-of-way maintenance, recreation, and other threats in some places. Climate change is also a concern, because this species can occur in alpine regions, and there are limited elevational gains for shifting habitat. There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for Carex pelocarpa.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Carex pelocarpa occurs in alpine habitats, on slopes and ridge crests from 2700-3700 m in elevation (FNA 2002). It can also be found on rocky lakeshores, on streambanks, meadows, and turf (FNA 2002, Lesica et al. 2012). In Utah, this species occurs in "lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, meadow, and alpine communities often along streams but usually in well-drained soil and in talus" (Welsh et al. 1987).

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/WoodlandForest - ConiferGrassland/herbaceousAlpineBare rock/talus/scree

Palustrine Habitats

Riparian

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN4

Province	Rank	Native
Nevada	S2	Yes
Oregon	S1	Yes
Montana	S4	Yes
Idaho	SNR	Yes
Utah	S2	Yes
Colorado	S3	Yes
Wyoming	S3	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
Unknown/undetermined	—	—	—

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (4)

Idaho (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Borah Peak	Salmon-Challis National Forest	130,463

Oregon (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Little Sheep	Wallowa-Whitman National Forest	5,238

Utah (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Horse Mountain - Mans Peak	Manti-Lasal National Forest	22,159

Wyoming (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Beartooth Proposed Wilderness	Shoshone National Forest	16,837

References (11)

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.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
Hitchcock, C.L., and A. Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual. University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington. 730 pp.
iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
Kartesz, J.T. 1988. A flora of Nevada. Ph.D. dissertation. Univ. of Nevada, Reno. 3 volumes. 1729 pp.
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.
Lesica, P. 2012a. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX. 771p.
NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2024. Version: 1.1.1 (released Oct 01, 2024).
Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, L.C. Higgins, and S. Goodrich, eds. 1987. A Utah Flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir 9: 1- 894. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. 894 pp.

Carex pelocarpa

Habitat

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