Cyperus squarrosus

L.

Awned Flatsedge

G5Secure Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.147983
Element CodePMCYP064B0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCyperus
Synonyms
Cyperus inflexusMuhl.
Other Common Names
Awned Cyperus (EN) Bearded Flatsedge (EN) bearded flatsedge (EN) Souchet courbé (FR)
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 Date2025-07-24
Change Date1993-08-10
Edition Date2025-07-24
Edition AuthorsStoner, N.; Rev. C. Annable (1993), rev. Johnson, J. (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Cyperus squarrosus is an annual graminoid found in damp habitats across much of the world including most of North America south of boreal Canada. With a broad global range, thousands of occurrences, and a tolerance for human disturbance, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Cyperus squarrosus is found throughout much of the world in North America from southern Canada to Mexico, continuing south through the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. It is also native to Africa South of the Sahara Desert, South Asia, and Australia, and exotic in southern Europe (FNA 2002, POWO 2025). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected 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 thousands of occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Cyperus squarrosus is potentially threatened by development, road maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Cyperus squarrosus grows in wet depressions and seepages on granitic and other rocks, riverbanks, swales, shores, coastal rock barrens, flood plains, edges of puddles, muddy places, gravelly roadsides, cracks in sidewalks, and other moist disturbed sites (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS3Yes
SaskatchewanS3Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
AlbertaS2Yes
OntarioS4Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
ManitobaS1Yes
Nova ScotiaSNANo
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
VermontS3Yes
WyomingS3Yes
UtahSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
GeorgiaS4Yes
OregonSNRYes
KansasS5Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
North CarolinaS2Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
ArizonaS4Yes
South CarolinaSNRYes
MississippiS4Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
IowaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
MontanaSNRYes
VirginiaS3Yes
New YorkS5Yes
New HampshireS2Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
ColoradoS3Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
Rhode IslandS1Yes
NevadaS3Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaS1Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
New JerseyS3Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
MaineS2Yes
FloridaSNRYes
West VirginiaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undeterminedUnknownUnknownUnknown

Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (11)
Arizona (3)
AreaForestAcres
Happy ValleyCoronado National Forest7,972
Lower RinconCoronado National Forest3,278
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
California (5)
AreaForestAcres
Chineese Camp (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,339
Devil's Gate (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,946
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Raymond PeakStanislaus National Forest3,646
South SierraSequoia National Forest8,008
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Elk MountainGila National Forest6,550
Sawyers PeakGila National Forest59,743
References (2)
  1. 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.
  2. 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.