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Carex rosea

Schkuhr ex Willd.

Rosy Sedge

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143302
Element CodePMCYP03BM0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCarex
Synonyms
Carex convolutaMackenzie
Other Common Names
Carex en rosace (FR) rosy 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.
Taxonomic Comments
Carex texensis is considered distinct at the species level from Carex rosea by Kartesz (1994, 1999), FNA (2002), and Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team (2025).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-08-13
Change Date1984-02-29
Edition Date2025-08-13
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Carex rosea is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid found in deciduous or mixed forests and occurring in eastern and central North America from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba, Canada, south to Florida west to Texas and Wyoming in the United States. There are over 1,400 estimated occurrences, which potentially face threats from development, logging, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Carex rosea occurs in eastern and central North America from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba, Canada, south to Florida west to Texas and Wyoming in the United States (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be over 4.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented 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 over 1400 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, logging, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and affinity for typically abundant habitats.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Carex rosea grows in dry to mesic deciduous or mixed forests, especially over basic substrates (FNA 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - Mixed
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
KentuckyS5Yes
North DakotaS2Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
WyomingSNRYes
IllinoisS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
IndianaS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
MississippiS5Yes
FloridaSNRYes
ArkansasS5Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
NebraskaSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
DelawareS4Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
GeorgiaS4Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
IowaSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
KansasS3Yes
MarylandSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
South CarolinaS4Yes
MaineSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS5Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
QuebecS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS3Yes
ManitobaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownUnknown
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownUnknown
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 (3)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
References (9)
  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). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  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. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  9. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).