Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Carex scabrata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Eastern Rough Sedge at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex scabrata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex scabrata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23 (2002)
Carex scabrata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Carex scabrata
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-095:
Carex scabrata FAMILY Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex scabrata
COMMON NAME:
Eastern Rough Sedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_casc13_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm250415_2437
April Pickens County SC
Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve
Widest leaf blades 8-23mm wide, septate-nodulose [w transverse partitions that wrinkle when dry], per Weakley's Flora (2025).
)
JK Marlow jkm250415_2443
April Pickens County SC
Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm250415_2447
April Pickens County SC
Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve
Widest leaf blades M-shaped in xs when young, 2 marginal veins more prominent above than midvein, per Weakley's Flora (2025).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Carex scabrata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex scabrata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex scabrata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23
Carex scabrata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Carex scabrata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-095:
Carex scabrata
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex scabrata
1995
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: seepage slopes, brook-banks, often in shade, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in NC Mountains, uncommon in SC Mountains (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal? Alternate, 3-ranked?
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Perianth absent
3 stamens
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Inflorescences: spikes (terminal spike staminate; 4-5 lateral spikes pistillate)
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Brown
Nutlet
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".