Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (10/20/20):
Carex digitalis +
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Slender Woodland Sedge at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex digitalis +
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-061:
Carex digitalis FAMILY Cyperaceae
COMMON NAME:
Slender Woodland Sedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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JK Marlow jkm250424_2771
April Greenville County SC
Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve
Vegetative shoots shorter than or slightly taller than the culms, per Weakley's Flora (2025).
)
JK Marlow jkm250424_2772
April Greenville County SC
Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve
Basal sheaths brownish, lacking any purple coloration, per Weakley's Flora (2025).
)
JK Marlow jkm250424_2773
April Greenville County SC
Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve
As the common name implies, the inflorescence is quite narrow/slender, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (10/20/20):
Carex digitalis +
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex digitalis +
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-061:
Carex digitalis
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
2270
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Monoecious
Look for it in forests (habitat varies depending on variety), per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal & low alternate, 3-ranked
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Perianth absent
3 stamens
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Inflorescences: spikes (terminal spike staminate; 1-3 lateral spikes pistillate)
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
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".