Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Carex intumescens var. fernaldii
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Medford et al. (2021) recognized var. fernaldii, which in NC occurs in high elevation spruce-fir and northern hardwood forests. A previous paper (1974, Canadian Journal of Botany, p. 2387) dismissed this variety, but Medford et al. seem convincing. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex intumescens
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH A morphometric analysis of the Carex intumescens complex supporting the recognition of two varieties (Medford, Poindexter, & Weakley. 2021)
Carex intumescens var. fernaldii
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex intumescens var. fernaldii
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23 (2002)
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-118?:
Carex intumescens FAMILY Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex intumescens
COMMON NAME:
Fernald’s Bladder Sedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_cain12_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_cain12_003_lvd
)
Cory Dodgens cry_c_intumescens_fern0
July
Var. fernaldii differs from var. intumescens in narrower perigynia and fewer perigynia per spike, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
Cory Dodgens cry_c_intumescens_fern1
July
Narrower perigynium widths and a higher perigynium length/width ratio than var. intumescens, per A morphometric analysis of the Carex intumescens complex supporting the recognition of two varieties (Medford, Poindexter, & Weakley. 2021).
)
Cory Dodgens cry_c_intumescens_fern2
July
Achene widest above middle w abruptly rounded shoulder; style of mature achene w half to full coil, per Weakley's Flora (2025).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Carex intumescens var. fernaldii
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex intumescens
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
A morphometric analysis of the Carex intumescens complex supporting the recognition of two
varieties (Medford, Poindexter, & Weakley. 2021)
Carex intumescens var. fernaldii
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex intumescens var. fernaldii
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-118?:
Carex intumescens
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex intumescens
5029
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: spruce-fir forests, northern hardwood forests, grassy balds, per Weakley's Flora
Native to North Carolina
Uncommon in NC Mountains
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal? Alternate, 3-ranked?
FLOWER:
Summer
Perianth absent
3 stamens
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Inflorescences: spikes (terminal spike staminate; 1-2 lateral spikes pistillate)
FRUIT:
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".