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Home/Species/ Muhlenberg's Sedge

Carex muehlenbergii

Schkuhr ex Willd.

Muhlenberg's Sedge

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1367574
Element CodePMCYP03NU0
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 Mühlenberg (FR) Muhlenberg's sedge (EN)
Concept Reference
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.
Taxonomic Comments
This record is for the narrow concept of Carex muehlenbergii, excluding C. muehlenbergii var. australis (= C. austrina), according to Kartesz (1999) and FNA (2002, vol. 23). In contrast, Kartesz (1994) recognizes both C. muehlenbergii var. australis (= C. austrina) and C. austrina (= C. muehlenbergii var. australis).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-03-05
Change Date1994-11-07
Edition Date2024-03-05
Edition AuthorsEberly (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Carex muehlenbergii is a wide ranging perennial sedge occurring in the eastern and central United States and extending into Ontario and Quebec in Canada. With a large range extent, hundreds of occurrences, and abundant habitat with relatively broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Carex muehlenbergii is a wide ranging perennial sedge occurring the eastern and central United States and extending into Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Range extent was calculated using herbarium records collected between 1993 and 2024 (SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 81 and 300 occurrences (SEINet 2024).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Carex muehlenbergii often grows in dry to drier mesic, sandy soils of hammocks and woodlands (FNA 2002, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023). Variety muehlenbergii grows is dry to dry-mesic habitats and variety enervis tends to grow in more acidic and drier habitats, by comparison (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New JerseySNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
TexasSNRYes
West VirginiaS3Yes
KentuckySNRYes
OhioSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
MississippiS4Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
North CarolinaS4Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
MaineS1Yes
VermontS2Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
DelawareSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
VirginiaS4Yes
IndianaS4Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS4Yes
QuebecSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Burke BranchShawnee National Forest6,231
References (3)
  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. 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.
  3. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.