Carex lenticularis

Michx.

Lenticular Sedge

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150978
Element CodePMCYP037A5
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 lenticularis var. lenticularis
Other Common Names
Carex lenticulaire (FR) Shore 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
This record represents the narrow concept of Carex lenticularis following Dragon and Barrington (2009). Dragon and Barrington (2009) and Wilson et al. (2013) include C. lenticularis var. impressa (= C. kelloggii var. impressa), C. lenticularis var. limnophila (= C. kelloggii var. limnophila), and C. lenticularis var. lipocarpa (= C. kelloggii var. kelloggii) as varieties of C. kelloggii, and recognize C. lenticularis sensu stricto, C. enanderi and C. plectocarpa as distinct species. In contrast, Kartesz (1994) and FNA (vol. 23, 2002) treated C. lenticularis in a broad sense with five varieties distinguished: C. lenticularis var. dolia (including C. enanderi and C. plectocarpa), C. lenticularis var. impressa,C. lenticularis var. limnophila, C. lenticularis var. lipocarpa., and C. lenticularis var. lenticularis.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-07-12
Change Date1988-08-31
Edition Date2024-07-12
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Carex lenticularis is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid in a variety of wetland habitats occurring in northern North America from Northwestern Territories south and east to Labrador and Nova Scotia in Canada (except the Nunavut) south to Minnesota east to Massachusetts in the United States. Threats include development, hydrological alteration such as abstraction of surface water or changing flood regimes from damming, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, this taxon is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Carex lenticularis occurs in northern North America from Northwestern Territories south and east to Labrador and Nova Scotia in Canada (except the Nunavut) south to Minnesota east to Massachusetts 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 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 only 43 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). Due to different treatments of this entity, herbarium records and photo-based observations may underrepresent true abundance, though it is "a common shoreline species of ponds and streams in eastern North America" (FNA 2002).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this taxon is potentially threatened by development, hydrological alteration such as abstraction of surface water or changing flood regimes from damming, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), invasive species, and other threats in some places.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Carex lenticularis grows in "seasonally flooded river and lakeshores" (FNA 2002).
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
MinnesotaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
New YorkS3Yes
MaineSNRYes
VermontS3Yes
MassachusettsS1Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS4Yes
LabradorS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
OntarioSNRYes
Nova ScotiaSNRYes
New BrunswickSNRYes
AlbertaSUYes
QuebecS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesSHYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
Alaska (1)
AreaForestAcres
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mt. Baker WestMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest25,390
References (8)
  1. Dragon, J. A., and D. S. Barrington. 2009. Systematics of the <i>Carex aquatilis</i> and <i>C. lenticularis</i> lineages: Geographically and ecologically divergent sister clades of <i>Carex </i>section <i>Phacocystis</i> (Cyperaceae). American Journal of Botany 96(10): 1896-1906.
  2. 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.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  4. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  5. 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.
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Wilson, B.L., R.E. Brainerd and N. Otting. 2013. New combinations in <i>Carex kelloggii</i> (Cyperaceae). Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 7(1): 53