Carex cherokeensis

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:CYPERACEAE
Species:Carex cherokeensis Schwein.
Common Name:Cherokee Sedge
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Cherokee Sedge is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sedge family (Cyperaceae). It can be found throughout most of Alabama. Cherokee Sedge occurs in prairies, in cedar glades, on limestone outcrops, in floodplain forests, in cemeteries, in pastures, and on roadsides. It is a perennial with a short, thick rhizome with persistent reddish-brown leaf bases. It forms slow-growing clumps. Culms are dark reddish brown at the base and three-angled (sedges have edges). The dark green leaves are 8-20 inches in length and flat to channeled at the base. Leaves are linear, glabrous, and have parallel veins. The edges of the leaves and the midrib on the lower side of the leaf are scabrous. The leaf sheaths are reddish brown. The inflorescence consists of a terminal staminate spike and 4-12 pedunculate lateral pistillate spikes. Pistillate spikes contain 20-50 flowers enclosed in inflated sac-like structures called perigynia. Each perigynia is subtended by a pale greenish-white scale with a green midrib. The perigynia is pale green or straw colored with 2 ribs and 7-10 veins. It has a beak with 2 short teeth. The fruit is an achene. The achene is ovoid. Cherokee Sedge is available from native plant nurseries. It is adaptable and will grow in wet or dry sites and in full sun or medium shade. It does very well in heavy clay soils. It can be used as a “filler” in prairie and meadow plantings, as a groundcover on steep slopes, and as an edging plant for perennial or shrub beds. It is deer resistant and many species of birds and small mammals feed on its fruit.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, FACW (NWI)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyCYPERACEAE - Sedge family
Genus Carex
Species Carex cherokeensis Schwein. - Cherokee Sedge

Citation

Citation Carex cherokeensis Schweinitz, Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 1(1): 71, 369–370, t. 25, f. 1. 1824.
Basionym: **
Type: **

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Carex baazasana Carex baazasana Steudel, Syn. Pl. Glumac. 2: 236. 1855. TEXAS
Carex brazasana Carex brazasana Steudel ex Boeckeler, Flora 39: 321. 1856, nom. illegit.Carex baazasana Steudel 1855. 
Carex christyana Carex christyana Boott, Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 114. 1845. TEXAS
Carex recurva Carex recurva Muhlenberg, Descr. Gram. 262. 1817, non Hudson 1778, nec Schkuhr 1801.  
Edritria recurva Edritria recurva Rafinesque, Good Book 26. 1840.Carex recurva Muhlenberg 1817, non Hudson 1778, nec Schkuhr 1801. 

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dallas, DeKalb, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, Pike, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Winston

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, NY, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL, UWFP

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1868 - 2023

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UNA00000606 Autauga 16 Apr 1980 Wiersema, John H.
1536		 UNA
Carex cherokeensis Schwein.
UNA00000532 Autauga 15 Apr 1982 Gunn, Scott C.
472		 UNA
Carex cherokeensis Schwein.
AUA000020143 Autauga 15 Apr 1982 GUNN, SCOTT C.
472		 AUA
CAREX CHEROKEENSIS SCHWEIN.
TROY000045681 Autauga 04 Apr 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
554		 TROY
Carex cherokeensis Schweinitz
UWAL0046651 Autauga 04 Apr 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
554		 UWAL
Carex cherokeensis Schweinitz
TROY000048806 Autauga 11 Apr 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
615		 TROY
Carex cherokeensis Schweinitz
USAM000004281 Baldwin 20 Apr 1974 LeLong, Michel G.
7643		 USAM
Carex cherokeensis Schweinitz
UWFP019340 Baldwin 14 May 1994 James R. Burkhalter
14094		 UWFP
Carex cherokeensis Schw.
ALNHS00004988 Baldwin 10 May 2017 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#3104		 ALNHS
Carex cherokeensis Schwein.
UNA00000512 Barbour 12 Jun 1979 Wiersema, John H.
863		 UNA
Carex cherokeensis Schwein.
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