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Carex spissa

Bailey

San Diego Sedge

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.129809
Element CodePMCYP03CS0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyCyperaceae
GenusCarex
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
Standley's treatment of Carex section Hispideae considered Carex ultra Bailey and Carex seatoniana Bailey to be synonyms of, and not consistently differentiated from Carex spissa Bailey (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 2002, Hermann 1970). More recent treatments for Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico have considered Carex ultra Bailey to be a distinct species, and it has been noted by González and Reznicek that the intergradation of characters seen within Carex section Hispideae is based on previously unrecognized additional taxa in Mexico (Allred et al. 2020, González-Elizondo et al. 2018, Rink and Licher 2015).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2023-07-25
Change Date1990-01-16
Edition Date2023-07-25
Edition AuthorsEberly (2023)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Carex spissa is a perennial sedge occurring in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico where it is restricted to coastal areas of California and Baja California. There are between 100 and 200 known occurrences but little is known about threats or trends.
Range Extent Comments
Carex spissa occurs in the western United States in coastal areas of southern California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico (González-Elizondo et al. 2018, Jepson Flora Project 2023). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023 (CCH2 2023, GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023, it is estimated that there are between 81 and 300 occurrences rangewide (CCH2 2023, GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023).
Threat Impact Comments
This species occurs in areas with significant development pressure, but overall threats to this species are not documented.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species occurs on stream banks and wet seeps at elevations less than 1,200 m. It occasionally occurs on serpentine (Jepson Flora Project 2023).
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownExtreme - seriousHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
California (2)
AreaForestAcres
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
TrabucoCleveland National Forest23,341
References (8)
  1. Allred, K.W., E.M. Jercinovic, and R.D. Ivey. 2020. Flora Neomexicana III: An Illustrated Identification Manual, Second Edition, part 1: Introduction, spore plants, gymnosperms, monocotyledonous plants, glossary.
  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. González-Elizondo, M.S., Reznicek, A.A., and Tena-Flores, J.A. 2018. Cyperaceae in Mexico: Diversity and distribution. Botanical Sciences 96(2): 305-331. Online. Available: https://doi.org/10.17129/botsci.1870 (accessed 2022).
  4. Hermann, Frederick J. 1970. Manual of the Carices of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Basin. Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 397 pages.
  5. Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2023. Jepson eFlora. Online. Available: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ (accessed 2023).
  6. 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.
  7. Munz, P.A., with D.D. Keck. 1959. A California flora. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 1681 pp.
  8. Rink, G., and M. Licher. 2015. Vascular Plants of Arizona: Cyperaceae Sedge Family Part 1: Family Description, Key to the Genera, and <i>Carex</i> L. Canotia 11: 1-97.