| Author | L.H. Bailey | |
| Distribution | Southern Mountains; a specimen from Wilkes County (at BOON) needs ID check, as this is somewhat out of range.
Southwestern NC, northwestern SC, northern GA, northeastern AL, and eastern TN. | |
| Abundance | Uncommon to fairly common. | |
| Habitat | Mesophytic hardwood or hardwood-evergreen forests and cove forests, often with moisture from seepage or streams. Typically in rich soil. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting April-May. | |
| Identification | Rather easily identified by the slender, often reclining stems with red-purple bases, and the 3-5 spikes per stem that arch or droop on long stalks and which have only 2-6 pergynia per spike. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None. The type specimen came from Table Mountain in South Carolina.
The genus Carex is the largest in North America, and among the largest in the world. In temperate and boreal regions, Carex is often the dominant or co-dominant ground layer in many habitats. Seeds (achenes) are valuable food for birds and small mammals, while foliage is used by birds and mammals to make nests and as food by mammals. Species of Carex often look vastly different from one another -- spikes erect vs. drooping, tiny inflorescence vs. whopping, culms leafy vs. naked, perigynia beaked vs. beakless, stems densely bunched vs. single, etc. The genus has been divided into many sections (or groups), based on shared characters; some taxonomists have suggested that these be different genera, but that proves unworkable (so far). All Carex share the feature of a perigynium (an outer covering) which completely surrounds the achene (seed). This covering may fit tightly or loosely (like a small bladder), depending on which group or species. Details of perigynia shape, ornamentation, presence and size of beak, number of striations (or veins) are all important ID features. In recent years Rob Naczi and colleagues have stressed the importance of arrangement of perigynia -- whether spiral (3+ ranks) or distichous (2-ranked) -- and have named a number of new species as well as split off some older synonyms. Therefore, RAB's (1968) key, excellent for its time, can only be used in a general way today. Members of some sections of Carex are difficult to key out (notably Ovales, Laxiflorae, Griseae); this is in part due to variation among individuals of a species, or failings of the key. FNA has drawings of most species and some species may be found in two or more places within a key, to acount for variability. New species to NC, and new to science(!), continue to be found in NC. | |
| Other Common Name(s) | Gamecock Sedge, South Carolina Sedge, a translation of the specific epithet. Despite this literal translation of the scientific name, nearly all references and websites use Tarheel Sedge; of course, "Tar Heel" refers to the University of North Carolina. Thankfully, the species is more common and widespread in North Carolina as it is in South Carolina. | |
| State Rank | S2? [S3] | |
| Global Rank | G4 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
