Species Factsheets
Carex crinita var. brevicrinis
Short-hair Sedge
State Status: Pennsylvania Endangered (PE)
PBS Status: Pennsylvania Endangered (PE)
Federal Status:
Global Rank: G5T5
rank interpretation
State Rank: S1
Did You Know?
Common traits of Carex crinita include long and cylindric spikes, perigynia densely packed, green to brownish color and weakly veined.
Description
Short-hair sedge (Carex crinita var. brevicrinis) is a tufted, grass-like plant that grows up to 1.5m tall. Its rough stems are three-sided, particularly near the base.
Rank Justification
Critically imperiled in the nation or state because of extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer occurrences) or because of some factor(s) such as very steep declines making it especially vulnerable to extirpation from the state.
PABS
The PA Biological Survey considers the short-hair sedge to be a species of special concern, based on the very few occurrences that have been confirmed and the specialized and infrequent habitat. It has been assigned a rarity status of Endangered.
Habitat
Short-hair sedge is a wetland plant and grows in moist to wet woodlands.
Survey Dates
Flowers, fruits June - August
Distribution
Threats
Throughout the range of this species, habitat loss, land conversion for development, and displacement by invasive species have all played a part in its decline. Its wetland habitats are also sensitive to habitat fragmentation and changes in hydrology that could alter water levels or chemistry.
Management
Maintenance of known populations and preservation of the communities where short hair sedge grows will be crucial to its survival. Creating buffers around fragmented habitat, removal of invasive species, and protection of wetland hydrology will help to maintain populations and encourage new population growth. The management of the known sites requires long term monitoring of populations. Potential sites for restoration should be evaluated.
Conservation Status Map
NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org.
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/fringed-sedge
- NatureServe. 2018. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available at https://www.natureserve.org/explorer
- Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. 2018.
- Rhoads, A.F. and W.M. Klein, Jr. 1993. The Vascular Flora of Pennsylvania. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rhoads, A.F. and T.A. Block.
- 2007. The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual. 2nd edition. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
