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Carex fraseriana Ker-Gawl.
Fraser's Sedge
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: Threatened
Global Rank: G4
State Rank: S1
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 5
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Mixed hardwood-hemlock forests
Carex fraseriana (synonym Cymophyllus fraserianus) is a perennial herb that forms dense clumps of evergreen leaves. Its leaves are 8 - 24 inches (20 - 60 cm) long and up to 2 inches (5 cm) wide, strap-shaped, dark green, smooth, shiny, leathery, with many faint parallel veins but no midvein; leaf margins are wavy and finely toothed. The flower stalk is 8 - 24 inches (20 - 60 cm) tall, with 4 - 6 sheaths wrapped around the base and topped by a spike of white flowers. Female flowers are held on the lower portion of the spike and produce 20 - 30 white fruit sacs (perigynia) per spike, each enclosing a small, 3-sided fruit. Male flowers are held on the upper portion of the spike and consist only of stamens. Fruits are 3-sided nutlets, each about 0.1 inch long (up to 3.2 mm long).
No other sedge forms clumps of large, leathery, evergreen leaves lacking a midvein. Plantain-leaved Sedge (Carex plantaginea) has broad but pleated leaves with conspicuous veins. Broad-leaved Sedge (C. platyphylla) has blue-green leaves with a strong midrib. Fraser's Sedge is sometimes called Lily-leaved Sedge.
There are 45 rare species of Carex in Georgia, none of which resemble Fraser's Sedge. For more information on other rare Carex in Georgia, see: https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/element_lists?group=plant. Detailed information about these 11 rare Carex species is provided on this website:
Acid-Loving Sedge (C. acidicola): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=34933
Baltzell's Sedge (C. baltzellii): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=15974
Granite Dome Sedge (C. biltmoreana): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=19146
Lime-fleeing Sedge (C. calcifugens): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=33655
Velvet Sedge (C. dasycarpa): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=15939
Cypress-knee Sedge (C. decomposita): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=21206
Meager Sedge (C. exilis): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=34936
Wretched Sedge (C. misera): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=16740
Radford’s Sedge (C. radfordii): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=15374
Roan Mountain Sedge (C. roanensis): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=21034
Thorne's Sedge (C. thornei): https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=34939
Acidic, mountain coves and ravines, usually along streams in hardwood-Hemlock forests with Rosebay Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel.
Fraser’s Sedge is a perennial herb that reproduces sexually. Unlike most members of the sedge family, which are wind-pollinated, Fraser’s sedge is primarily pollinated by insects that are attracted to the showy, white inflorescences. Insects use the broad lower portion of the spike that holds the female flowers as a landing platform, shedding pollen picked up from a previously visited plant, then move upward into the pollen-bearing flowers at the top of the spike where they gather pollen that is carried to the next plant they visit.
Surveys are best conducted during flowering (late April–May) and fruiting (May–June), but leaves are distinctive all year.
Georgia, north to Pennsylvania in the Appalachian Mountains
Logging, clearing, and other soil disturbances. Overbrowsing by deer. Poaching.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Natural system modifications | None | None |
| Specific Threat | None | None | None |
Fraser's Sedge is ranked S1 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that it is critically imperiled in the state. It is listed as Threatened by the State of Georgia. Six populations are known, half in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Avoid logging, clearing, trail construction, or other mechanical disturbances in mountain coves, ravines, and stream corridors. Reduce the size of Georgia’s deer herd. Protect plants from trampling and collecting.
Chafin, L.G. 2007. Field guide to the rare plants of Georgia. State Botanical Garden of Georgia and University of Georgia Press, Athens.
Clarkson, R.B. 1961. Fraser’s Sedge, Cymophyllus fraseri (Andrews) Mackenzie. Castanea 26(4): 129-136.
GADNR. 2020. Element occurrence records for Cymophyllus fraserianus. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
Godt, M.J.W., J.L. Hamrick, and A. Meier. 2004. Genetic diversity in Cymophyllus fraserianus (Cyperaceae), a rare monotypic genus. Genetica 122(2): 207-215.
Massey, J.R., D.K.S. Otte, T.A. Atkinson, and R.D. Whetstone. 1983. Atlas and illustrated guide to the threatened and endangered vascular plants of the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, Technical Report SE-20. Department of Agriculture, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, North Carolina.
NatureServe. 2019. Cymophyllus fraserianus comprehensive report. NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Cymophyllus%20fraserianus
Patrick, T.S., J.R. Allison, and G.A. Krakow. 1995. Protected plants of Georgia. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, Social Circle.
Reznicek, A.A. 2003. Cymophyllus fraserianus species account. Flora of North America, Vol. 23. Oxford University Press, New York. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242357638
Reznicek, A.A. 1989. Homology of the leaf in the Southern Appalachian endemic Cymophyllus fraseri (Cyperaceae). American Journal of Botany 76(6): 267 (Supplement: Abstracts of Papers and Posters to be Presented at the Joint Meeting of the Canadian Botanical Association and the Botanical Society of America). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2444836?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents
Thomas, W. W. 1984.Insect pollination of Cymophyllus fraseri (Andrews) Mackenzie. Castanea 49: 94-95. http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US19850033708
Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Linda G. Chafin
L. Chafin, April 2007: original account
K. Owers, Jan. 2010: updated status and ranks, added pictures
L. Chafin, Feb 2020: updated original account.
H. Umstead, Feb 2025: updated scientific name and synonyms.
