Carex folliculata

L.

Long Sedge

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.158881
Element CodePMCYP034X0
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
Carex folliculé (FR) Northern Long Sedge (EN) northern long 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 Date2015-08-11
Edition Date2024-07-10
Edition AuthorsGeoffrey Hall (1998), rev. Soteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Carex folliculata is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid in a variety of wetland habitats occurring in eastern North America from Newfoundland west to Ontario, Canada and Wisconsin, United States south to South Carolina and Georgia. Threats include hydrological alteration, invasive species, succession, and likely other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Carex folliculata occurs in eastern North America from Newfoundland west to Ontario, Canada and Wisconsin, United States south to northwestern South Carolina and northern Georgia (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 2.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by hydrological alteration, invasive species, succession, 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 folliculata grows in wet forests, high elevation forests (spruce-fir), bogs, boggy forests, seeps, wet meadows, marsh edges, stream banks, lakeshores, in acidic, sandy, or peaty soils (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS4Yes
QuebecS3Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS2Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
OntarioS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
DelawareS5Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
TennesseeS1Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
GeorgiaS1Yes
New YorkS5Yes
IndianaS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
MaineSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
WisconsinS4Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
MarylandSNRYes
North CarolinaS3Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
South CarolinaS1Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
VermontS3Yes
Threat Assessments

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
KearsargeWhite Mountain National Forest4,554
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Woodford 09086Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests2,456
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
References (7)
  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).
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.