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Cyperus dentatus

Torr.

Toothed Flatsedge

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.147423
Element CodePMCYP060N0
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
Other Common Names
Bulblet Flatsedge (EN) Souchet denté (FR) toothed flatsedge (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 Date2024-05-09
Change Date1984-05-07
Edition Date2024-05-09
Edition AuthorsWeakley (1994), rev. Soteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Cyperus dentatus is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid along shorelines in eastern North America from Ontario east to Nova Scotia, Canada and south to Virginia, Tennessee, and Indiana. Threats include land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, forest management practices, development, invasive species, fire suppression leading to succession, and other threats in some places. With a large range extent, large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Cyperus dentatus occurs in eastern North America from Ontario east to Nova Scotia, Canada and south to northern Virginia and disjunct inland in western Virginia, southeastern Tennessee and northwest Indiana (Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2023). Range extent was estimated to be over 1 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 200 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, and forest management practices (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002), also development, invasive species, fire suppression leading to succession, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024), though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Cyperus dentatus is emergent on "sandy, peaty, or gravelly shorelines" including "sand and cobble bars [and] Shenandoah Valley sinkhole ponds" (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousSand/dune
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS1Yes
QuebecS3Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaS1Yes
TennesseeS1Yes
North CarolinaSHYes
New JerseyS5Yes
MaineSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
VermontS3Yes
IndianaS1Yes
District of ColumbiaSHYes
MarylandSHYes
DelawareSHYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
New YorkS3Yes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
West VirginiaSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3.5 - Motivation unknown/unrecordedUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownUnknown
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 (1)
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
References (8)
  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. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2023. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 14, 2023. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2105 pp.