Carex duriuscula

{{Speciesbox

| image = Carex duriuscula - Cecelia Alexander 01.jpg

| image_alt =

| image_caption = Rolling sagebrush steppe, Uinta County, Wyoming

| status = {{TNCStatus}}

| status_system = TNC

| status_ref = {{sfn|NatureServe 2025}}

| genus = Carex

| parent = Carex subg. Vignea

| species = duriuscula

| authority = C.A.Mey.

| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies

| subdivision_ref = {{sfn|POWO 2025a}}

| subdivision = {{Species list

| C. duriuscula subsp. duriuscula |

| C. duriuscula subsp. rigescens |

}}

| synonyms_ref = {{sfn|POWO 2025a}}{{sfn|POWO 2025b}}{{sfn|POWO 2025c}}

| synonyms = {{Species list

| Carex eleocharis |

| Carex rigescens |

| Carex sohachii |

| Carex stenophylla var. duriuscula |

| Vignea duriuscula |

}}

Carex duriuscula, commonly known as needleleaf sedge, is a species of sedge that is native to both North American and Eurasia.

Description

Needleleaf sedge is a herbaceous tuft forming plant.{{sfn|Meyer 2020}} It spreads by brown rhizomes with a thickness of 0.6–1.8 millimeters,{{sfn|Zika|Hipp|Mastrogiuseppe|2015}} which can be quite long.{{sfn|Liang|Tucker|Koyama|2010}} Plants have a large number of small, fibrous roots.{{sfn|Heil et al. 2013|p=469}} Its clums, flowering stems in grass like plants, are three sided at the base, but the corners are blunt and are quite smooth towards the top. They usually measure {{convert|10 to 35|cm|0|sp=us}} tall, but occasionally are as short as {{cvt|6|cm}}.{{sfn|Meyer 2020}} The clums grow from the rhizomes, either singly or a few together.{{sfn|Heil et al. 2013|p=469}}

The leaves are quite narrow, just 0.5–1.5 millimeters wide with an edge that may roll inward or be flat.{{sfn|Zika|Hipp|Mastrogiuseppe|2015}}{{sfn|Liang|Tucker|Koyama|2010}} They are always shorter than the clums and have a slightly rough surface.{{sfn|Liang|Tucker|Koyama|2010}} The base of the leaves have {{plantgloss|sheaths}} that are brown to dark-brown in color that disintegrate into fibers.{{sfn|Meyer 2020}}

The inflorescence at the top of a needleleaf sedge clum is 0.7–2 tall and half as wide if it is a pistillate, seed producing, inflorescence.{{sfn|Meyer 2020}} A pistillate glume, the scale like bract under the spikelet, is broadly {{plantgloss|ovate}} or {{plantgloss|elliptic}} in shape and rusty-brown in color with a glassy, hyaline, white edge and tip.{{sfn|Liang|Tucker|Koyama|2010}}

Taxonomy

Carex duriuscula is classified with the grass like species in the family Cyperaceae in the genus Carex, the true sedges.{{sfn|POWO 2025a}} Within Carex it is further classified in the subgenus named Vignea.{{sfn|Ford et al. 2012|p=915}} This is in turn is classified in section Divisae.{{sfn|Reznicek & Catling 2020}} A 2012 study of the genetics of Carex species classified in Vignea found that it is most closely related to Carex chordorrhiza and then to Carex douglasii and Carex potosina.{{sfn|Ford et al. 2012|p=917}}

It was scientifically described and named in 1831 by the botanist Carl Anton von Meyer.{{sfn|POWO 2025a}}

=Subspecies=

Two subspecies are listed as accepted by Plants of the World Online,{{sfn|POWO 2025a}} World Flora Online,{{sfn|WFO 2025}} and World Plants.{{sfn|Hassler|2025}} However, a third subspecies named stenophylloides is listed in the Flora of China.{{sfn|Liang|Tucker|Koyama|2010}}

==''Carex duriuscula'' subsp. ''duriuscula''==

The autonymic subspecies is distinguished by the inrolled edges of its leaves.{{sfn|Liang|Tucker|Koyama|2010}} This subspecies is the more widespread, growing across temperate Asia and Western North America and on the island of Papua New Guinea.{{sfn|POWO 2025b}}

==''Carex duriuscula'' subsp. ''rigescens''==

This subspecies was given its first scientific description in 1884 as Carex stenophylla var. rigescens by Adrien René Franchet. It was described as a species in 1935 by Vitali Iwanowicz Kreczetowicz (1901-1942), but it was reclassified as a subspecies of C. duriuscula in 1990.{{sfn|POWO 2025c}} The leaves of subspecies rigescens are flat.{{sfn|Liang|Tucker|Koyama|2010}}

=Synonyms=

Carex duriuscula has {{table row counter|id=Synonyms}} synonyms of the species or one of its two accepted subspecies according to POWO.{{sfn|POWO 2025a}}{{sfn|POWO 2025b}}{{sfn|POWO 2025c}}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="Synonyms" \|+ class="nowrap" \| Table of Synonyms ! Name ! Year ! Rank ! Synonym of: ! Notes
Carex duriuscula var. interrupta {{small\|Litv.}} \| 1909 \|data-sort-value=D \| variety \| subsp. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=B \| = het.
Carex duriuscula var. tenuispica {{small\|X.Y.Yuan}} \| 1985 \|data-sort-value=D \| variety \| subsp. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=B \| = het.
Carex eleocharis {{small\|L.H.Bailey}} \| 1889 \|data-sort-value=A \| species \| subsp. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=B \| = het.
Carex rigescens {{small\|(Franch.) V.I.Krecz.}} \| 1935 \|data-sort-value=A \| species \| subsp. rigescens \|data-sort-value=A \| ≡ hom.
Carex sohachii {{small\|Ohwi}} \| 1942 \|data-sort-value=A \| species \| subsp. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=B \| = het.
Carex stenophylla subsp. eleocharis {{small\|(L.H.Bailey) Hultén}} \| 1942 \|data-sort-value=B \| subspecies \| subsp. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=B \| = het.
Carex stenophylla subsp. rigescens {{small\|(S.Yun Liang) S.Yun Liang & Y.C.Tang}} \| 1990 \|data-sort-value=B \| subspecies \| subsp. rigescens \|data-sort-value=A \| ≡ hom.
Carex stenophylla var. duriuscula {{small\|(C.A.Mey.) Trautv.}} \| 1888 \|data-sort-value=D \| variety \| C. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=A \| ≡ hom.
Carex stenophylla var. eleocharis {{small\|(L.H.Bailey) Breitung}} \| 1957 \|data-sort-value=D \| variety \| subsp. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=B \| = het.
Carex stenophylla var. humilis {{small\|Meinsh.}} \| 1901 \|data-sort-value=D \| variety \| subsp. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=B \| = het.
Carex stenophylla var. rigescens {{small\|Franch.}} \| 1884 \|data-sort-value=D \| variety \| subsp. rigescens \|data-sort-value=A \| ≡ hom.
Vignea duriuscula {{small\|(C.A.Mey.) Soják}} \| 1979 \|data-sort-value=A \| species \| C. duriuscula \|data-sort-value=A \| ≡ hom.
colspan=5 style="text-align: left;" \| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" id="Synonyms"

|+ class="nowrap" | Table of Synonyms

! Name

! Year

! Rank

! Synonym of:

! Notes

Carex duriuscula var. interrupta {{small|Litv.}}

| 1909

|data-sort-value=D | variety

| subsp. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=B | = het.

Carex duriuscula var. tenuispica {{small|X.Y.Yuan}}

| 1985

|data-sort-value=D | variety

| subsp. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=B | = het.

Carex eleocharis {{small|L.H.Bailey}}

| 1889

|data-sort-value=A | species

| subsp. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=B | = het.

Carex rigescens {{small|(Franch.) V.I.Krecz.}}

| 1935

|data-sort-value=A | species

| subsp. rigescens

|data-sort-value=A | ≡ hom.

Carex sohachii {{small|Ohwi}}

| 1942

|data-sort-value=A | species

| subsp. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=B | = het.

Carex stenophylla subsp. eleocharis {{small|(L.H.Bailey) Hultén}}

| 1942

|data-sort-value=B | subspecies

| subsp. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=B | = het.

Carex stenophylla subsp. rigescens {{small|(S.Yun Liang) S.Yun Liang & Y.C.Tang}}

| 1990

|data-sort-value=B | subspecies

| subsp. rigescens

|data-sort-value=A | ≡ hom.

Carex stenophylla var. duriuscula {{small|(C.A.Mey.) Trautv.}}

| 1888

|data-sort-value=D | variety

| C. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=A | ≡ hom.

Carex stenophylla var. eleocharis {{small|(L.H.Bailey) Breitung}}

| 1957

|data-sort-value=D | variety

| subsp. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=B | = het.

Carex stenophylla var. humilis {{small|Meinsh.}}

| 1901

|data-sort-value=D | variety

| subsp. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=B | = het.

Carex stenophylla var. rigescens {{small|Franch.}}

| 1884

|data-sort-value=D | variety

| subsp. rigescens

|data-sort-value=A | ≡ hom.

Vignea duriuscula {{small|(C.A.Mey.) Soják}}

| 1979

|data-sort-value=A | species

| C. duriuscula

|data-sort-value=A | ≡ hom.

colspan=5 style="text-align: left;" | Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym

=Names=

The species name, duriuscula, means "somewhat hard".{{sfn|Heil et al. 2013|p=469}} In English it known by the common name needleleaf sedge or needle-leaved sedge.{{sfn|NRCS 2025}}{{sfn|VASCAN 2025}} It is also called spikeletrush sedge,{{sfn|Zika|Hipp|Mastrogiuseppe|2015}} spikerush sedge, involute-leaved sedge, low sedge, and narrow-leaved sedge.{{sfn|VASCAN 2025}}

Range and habitat

Needleleaf sedge has an extensive range from the eastern parts of European Russia through Siberia and Alaska to the Upper Midwest in the United States.{{sfn|WFO 2025}} There is also a disjunct population in Irian Jaya, the western part of the island of Papua New Guinea.{{sfn|Hassler|2025}}

In China it is widespread in the north and east, but absent from the southwest and west. It also is found in Mongolia, Korea, and Kazakhstan.{{sfn|POWO 2025a}}

In arctic and subarctic North America the species grows in Alaska and the Yukon and Northwest Territories. It also is native to the four western provinces of Canada, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. In the contiguous United States it is most common in the Rocky Mountain states and the northern states of the Great Plains. This includes Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, western Minnesota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, and northern New Mexico. To the east is also is found in widely scattered areas of Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas. It is also native to every western state, but only a few counties of each.{{sfn|NRCS 2025}} For example, in California it is it grows only in the great basin province in the White and Inyo Mountains.{{sfn|Zika|Hipp|Mastrogiuseppe|2015}}

Its habitats include dry prairies, sagebrush grasslands, and openings in dry forests.{{sfn|Reznicek & Catling 2020}} In North America it can grow at elevations of {{convert|300–3300|m|sp=us}},{{sfn|Reznicek & Catling 2020}} but in China it usually grows from {{convert|200–700|m|sp=us}} and rarely may be found as low as {{cvt|100|m}}.{{sfn|Liang|Tucker|Koyama|2010}}

Ecology

In Buryatia, Russia a study of pastures in the Barguzin Valley found that intensive grazing by livestock has caused the steppe pasture to become dominated by needleleaf sedge and fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida).{{sfn|Gomboev et al. 1996|p=128}}

References

=Citations=

=Sources=

== Books ==

{{Cite book |last1=Gomboev |first1=B. |last2=Sekulich |first2=I. |last3=Pykhalaova |first3=T. |last4=Anenkhonov |first4=O. |last5=Tsybikova |first5=A. |last6=Mognonova |first6=O. |last7=Borisova |first7=T. |last8=Beshentzev |first8=A. |date=1996 |chapter=Chapter 4. The Present Condition and Use of Pasture in the Barguzin Valley |editor-last1=Humphrey |editor-first1=Caroline |editor-last2=Sneath |editor-first2=David |title=Culture and Environment in Inner Asia |url=https://archive.org/details/cultureenvironme0000unse_a0f3 |url-access=registration |language=en |volume=1: The Pastoral Economy and the Environment |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |publisher=White Horse Press |isbn=978-1-874267-14-0 |oclc=312205834 |access-date=15 May 2025 |ref={{sfnref|Gomboev et al. 1996}}}}

{{Cite book |last1=Heil |first1=Kenneth D. |last2=O'Kane |first2=Steve L. Jr. |last3=Reeves |first3=Linda Mary |last4=Clifford |first4=Arnold |date=2013 |title=Flora of the Four Corners Region: Vascular Plants of the San Juan River Drainage, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah |url=https://archive.org/details/mobot31753003888887/page/n486 |language=en |edition=First |location=St. Louis, Missouri |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden |isbn=978-1-930723-84-9 |issn=0161-1542 |lccn=2012949654 |oclc=859541992 |access-date=15 May 2025 |ref={{sfnref|Heil et al. 2013}}}}

== Journals ==

{{cite journal |last1=Ford |first1=Bruce A. |last2=Ghazvini |first2=Habibollah |last3=Naczi |first3=Robert F. C. |last4=Starr |first4=Julian R. |date=2012 |title=Phylogeny of Carex subg. Vignea (Cyperaceae) based on Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism and nrDNA Data |journal=Systematic Botany |language=en |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=913–925 |doi=10.1600/036364412X656464 |issn=0363-6445 |jstor=23362708 |ref={{sfnref|Ford et al. 2012}}}}

== Web sources ==

{{cite web |last1=Acadia University |last2=Université de Montréal Biodiversity Centre |last3=University of Toronto Mississauga |last4=University of British Columbia |date=2025 |title=Carex duriuscula - Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN) |url=https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/taxon/4849?lang=en |website=Canadensys |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207164425/https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/taxon/4849?lang=en |archive-date=7 December 2021 |access-date=15 May 2025 |ref={{sfnref|VASCAN 2025}}}}
{{cite web |last1=Hassler |first1=Michael |date=6 March 2025 |title=Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 25.03 |url=https://www.worldplants.de/ |website=World Plants |language=en |access-date=15 May 2025}}
{{cite web |last1=Liang |first1=Songyun (梁松筠) |last2=Tucker |first2=Gordon C. |last3=Koyama |first3=Tetsuo |date=2010 |title=Carex duriuscula |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200026560 |website=Flora of China @eFloras.org |language=en |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=15 May 2025}}
{{cite web |last1=Meyer |first1=C.A. |date=30 July 2020 |orig-date=2003 |url=http://dev.floranorthamerica.org/Carex_duriuscula |title=Carex duriuscula |website=Flora of North America |page=304 |language=en |isbn=978-0-19-515207-4 |oclc=48753560 |access-date=15 May 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250329222206/http://dev.floranorthamerica.org/Carex_duriuscula |archive-date=29 March 2025 |ref={{sfnref|Meyer 2020}}}}
{{Cite NatureServe |date=28 February 2025 |id=2.144813 |title=Carex duriuscula |access-date=15 May 2025 |ref={{sfnref|NatureServe 2025}}}}
{{cite usda plants|symbol=CADU6 |title=Carex duriuscula |date=29 March 2025 |ref={{sfnref|NRCS 2025}}}}
{{cite POWO |last1=POWO |date=2025 |id=299559-1 |title=Carex duriuscula C.A.Mey. |access-date=15 May 2025 |ref={{sfnref|POWO 2025a}}}}
{{cite POWO |last1=POWO |date=2025 |id=77169566-1 |title=Carex duriuscula subsp. duriuscula |access-date=15 May 2025 |ref={{sfnref|POWO 2025b}}}}
{{cite POWO |last1=POWO |date=2025 |id=956225-1 |title=Carex duriuscula subsp. rigescens (Franch.) S.Yun Liang & Y.C.Tang |access-date=15 May 2025 |ref={{sfnref|POWO 2025c}}}}
{{cite web |last1=Reznicek |first1= A. A. |last2=Catling |first2=Paul M. |date=30 July 2020 |orig-date=2003 |url=http://dev.floranorthamerica.org/Carex_sect._Divisae |title=Carex sect. Divisae |website=Flora of North America |language=en |isbn=978-0-19-515207-4 |oclc=48753560 |access-date=15 May 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330035253/http://dev.floranorthamerica.org/Carex_sect._Divisae |archive-date=30 March 2025 |ref={{sfnref|Reznicek & Catling 2020}}}}
{{Cite WFO |last1=WFO |date=2025 |title=Carex duriuscula C.A.Mey. |id=0000346270 |access-date=15 May 2025 |ref={{sfnref|WFO 2025}}}}
{{cite web |last1=Zika |first1=Peter F. |last2=Hipp |first2=Andrew L. |last3=Mastrogiuseppe |first3=Joy |date=2015 |title=Carex duriuscula |url=https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=17386 |website=Jepson eFlora |language=en |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110175525/https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=17386 |archive-date=10 November 2024 |access-date=15 May 2025}}

duriuscula