Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Carex digitalis +
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read about the three quite distinct, but probably intergrading, varieties of Slender Woodland Sedge at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex digitalis +
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex digitalis +
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23 (2002)
Carex digitalis +
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-061:
Carex digitalis FAMILY Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex digitalis
COMMON NAME:
Slender Woodland Sedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
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 (2/10/25):
Carex digitalis +
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex digitalis +
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex digitalis +
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23
Carex digitalis +
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-061:
Carex digitalis
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex digitalis
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
Common, uncommon, rare, or absent - depending on variety & region
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".