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Plant Profile

Barratt's Sedge (Carex barrattii)

This shot shows the flower/seed-heads and leaves of Barratt's sedge. Photo Credit: Copyright Larry E. Morse

Global Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Cyperaceae
State: AL, CT, DE, GA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA
Nature Serve ID: 144090
Lifeform: Graminoid
Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/10/1987

Description:

Barratts sedge is uncommon throughout most of its range. It is not federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, but is ranked as threatened or endangered in a number of states in which it is found. One state where this species is doing well is New Jersey. In 1978 and 1979, Congress and the State of New Jersey established the Pinelands National Reserve and the Pinelands Commission. The Pinelands National Reserve occupies 22% of New Jersey's land area, with 1.1 million acres of a mix of public and private land. Today, with the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan, which is overseen by the Pinelands Commission, the region is protected and managed to maintain its unique ecology while permitting compatible development. The protection of the Pine Barrens has saved many of the populations in New Jersey, while other states continue to lose large proportions of their populations to development. This species produces pale bluish-green leaves that grow from tufts. Its flowers, which are rarely produced, are composed of interesting but difficult-to-see darkish purple flower spikes. This species can be distinguished from a similar and closely related species Carex limosa using a few characteristics. C. limosa is smaller than C. barrattii, and its flowers have scales that completely conceal the perigynia, while the scales of C. barrattii do not quite cover the peringynia. In addition, C. limosa reproduces vegetatively by stolons (above ground) while C. barrattii reproduces vegetatively by underground rhizomes (Sharp 2001).

Where is Barratt's Sedge (Carex barrattii) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Prime conditions for this species are wetland areas with open sun and acidic soils (pH less than 5) along the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain. Populations have historically been found in coastal pine or oak barrens, bogs, and swamps, but remaining populations are found primarily in pine barrens (Sharp 2001, Denemore 1987). This species was discovered in South Carolina in 1993 in a rather remarkable plant community that appears relictual from much colder times in the region (Hill and Horn 1997). Plants observed growing in clonal populations in roadside ditches in Burlington County NJ, in association with Quercus illicifolia and Q. marilandica, Acer rubrum, Rhododendron viscosum, Clethra alnifolia and various Vaccinium sp. (NYBG 2014)

Distribution:

Currently, most populations are located in the New Jersey Pine Barrens with additional sites in Maryland and Delaware. Occurrences have been reported in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Connecticut, although sighting are very rare and dated (NatureServe 2016).

States & Provinces:

Barratt's Sedge can be found in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia

Which CPC Partners conserve Barratt's Sedge (Carex barrattii)?

The New York Botanical Garden

Not Sponsored

Conservation Actions

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

10/14/2020

Collections made in two locations in Burlington County NJ in 2014. As of December 2017 ex situ propagation of seed collections have been unsuccessful. Seed is currently not banked with MARSB but is held by GPNPC from a BBG collection by Uli Lorimer.

10/14/2020

In the late 1980's the New York Botanic Garden began to cultivate this species, but there has been little other study, which is not unusual for sedges as a whole.

10/14/2020

10/14/2020

NYBG

01/03/2018

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Rare throughout a significant portion of its range. Locally frequent in the New Jersey Pine Barrens (with scores of occurrences), as well as Maryland and Delaware. No extant sites known in Pennsylvania or North Carolina.

01/01/2010

Development and accompanying hydrologic changes including but not limited to the filling of wetlands Closure of the tree canopy, as this species is shade-intolerant.

01/01/2010

There are a total of 72 sites thought to remain with 60 of these in New Jersey and five or less in any other state. Historically over 94 sites were known to exist with NJ and NY losing the largest numbers of sites but with many other states losing over 50% of their sites due to the very small numbers that have ever been found in those areas. (Denemore 1987) Two populations (some consider them sub-populations as they occur in close proximity) are currently known in Connecticut, with population size between them exceeding 10,000 ramets. These populations occur on private property, and are therefore not legally protected. There were historically 7 populations in the state. (Sharp 2001) The species was recently discovered in South Carolina--its status there is unknown. (Hill and Horn 1997).

01/01/2010

In the late 1980's the New York Botanic Garden began to cultivate this species, but there has been little other study, which is not unusual for sedges as a whole.

01/01/2010

None known.

01/01/2010

Research Needs: Studies of species reproduction Further study detailing the species response to fire Assess required hydrologic regimes necessary Management Needs: Possibly enhance existing populations that are small Searches for unknown populations where the habitat appears suitable

01/01/2010

Additional methods of propagation need to be tested Continue seed banking for research purposes as well as to preserve genetic diversity of the species should one or many populations be eliminated from the wild.