Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Houghton's Sedge

Carex houghtoniana

Torr. ex Dewey

Houghton's Sedge

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.131545
Element CodePMCYP03690
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 Houghton (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 Date2025-07-09
Change Date1984-02-29
Edition Date2025-07-09
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 houghtoniana is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid in open, disturbed sites, rocky balds, and ledges occurring in North America from Newfoundland Island and Nova Scotia west to Alberta, Canada south in the United States to Maine and New Hampshire west to Minnesota. There are over 300 estimated occurrences, which face threats from development, mining, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Carex houghtoniana occurs in North America from Newfoundland Island and Nova Scotia west to Alberta, Canada south in the United States to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be over 3.8 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 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is threatened by development, mining, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), invasive species, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species (NatureServe 2025). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, tolerance (and affinity for) fire and other disturbances, and large number of occurrences.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Houghton's sedge is a small-tufted, grass-like perennial that occurs in patches. It has strap like leaves that are 2.8-8.5 mm wide. Stems are 20-100 cm tall and have leaves along the lower parts of the stems. Towards the apex of the stems are 2-7 narrowly cylindrical flower/fruit clusters (spikes). The upper spikes are composed of male flowers and the lower spikes are composed of female flowers. The fruits (perigynia) are veined, hairy, 4.5-6.5 mm long, and have a short beak with two straight teeth at their apices (Reznicek and Catling 2002).

Habitat

Carex houghtoniana grows in "dry to moist sandy or gravelly soils in open, disturbed sites, rocky balds, [and] ledges" (FNA 2002).

Ecology

"Carex houghtoniana responds strongly to fire and other disturbances, appearing quickly, presumably from the seedbank, then often dying out in a few years if the disturbance is not repeated" (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Bare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlbertaS3Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
LabradorS1Yes
Nova ScotiaS2Yes
QuebecS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS1Yes
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
New YorkS2Yes
MichiganSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
VermontS1Yes
MaineSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
3 - Energy production & miningUnknownUnknownUnknown
3.2 - Mining & quarryingUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Phantom LakeSuperior National Forest6,521
Wisconsin (1)
AreaForestAcres
09182 - Pentoga RoadChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest5,008
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). 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. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).