Help us maintain this website and keep it free and open for our community of scientists, students, and conservation managers, who depend on it to obtain the most up to date information. Help us save species and restore native ecosystems!

Close

Please scroll to the bottom for more images.
Carex gigantea Rudge
Giant sedge

Carex gigantea
Copyright by: Shirley Denton

Family: Cyperaceae

Group: Monocot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Southeastern and central United States.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Imperiled

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

South Florida History and Distribution: A rare understory herb in the swamps of southwestern Florida; scattered in the rest of Florida. This was ranked as critically imperiled in Gann et al. (2002), but it was subsequently found in several new locations in Big Cypress National Preserve, and Picayune Strand State Forest. It is currently ranked as imperiled in South Florida, where it is threatened by climate change, sea level rise, invasive species and other hazards.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Comments: For more images, click on the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants link below.

Other data on Carex gigantea available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Carex gigantea has been found in the following 4 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Native
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park Present Native
Picayune Strand State Forest Present Native
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Present Native

Carex gigantea has been found in the following 4 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Collier County Native
Lee County Native
Miami-Dade County Possibly Extirpated Doubtfully Native
Monroe County (Mainland) Native

Carex gigantea has been found in the following 3 habitats :
Dome Swamp
Marl Prairie
Strand Swamp

All Images:

Carex gigantea
Copyright by: Shirley Denton