The genus Carex, the sedges, is one of the largest genera of flowering plants, containing over 2000 species, according to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. In May 2015, the Global Carex Group argued for a broader circumscription of Carex, which added all the species formerly classified in Cymophyllus (1 species), Kobresia (c. 60 species), Schoenoxiphium (c. 15 species) and Uncinia (c. 70 species). As of May 2024, all the currently recognised species (including hybrid species) in the genus Carex are given below:
Species
A
Carex × abitibiana Lepage Carex aboriginum M.E.Jones Carex × abortiva Holmb. Carex abrupta Mack. Carex abscondita Mack. Carex acaulis d'Urv. Carex accrescens Ohwi – Seoul sedge Carex acicularis Boott Carex acidicola Naczi Carex acocksii C.Archer Carex acuta L. Carex acutata Boott Carex acutiformis Ehrh. Carex adelostoma V.I.Krecz. Carex adrienii E.G.Camus Carex × adulterina Chenevard Carex adusta Boott Carex aematorrhyncha Desv. Carex aequialta Kük. Carex × aestivaliformis Mack. Carex aestivalis M.A.Curtis ex A.Gray Carex aethiopica Schkuhr Carex agastachys L.f. Carex agglomerata C.B.Clarke Carex aggregata Mack. Carex × akitaensis Fujiw. Carex × akiyamana Ohwi Carex alajica Litv. Carex alascana Boeckeler Carex alata Torr. Carex alatauensis S.R.Zhang Carex alba Scop. Carex albata Boott ex Franch. – ditch sedge Carex albert-smithii T.Koyama Carex × albertii H.Lév. Carex albicans Willd. ex Spreng. Carex albidibasis T.Koyama Carex albolutescens Schwein. Carex albonigra Mack. Carex alboviridis C.B.Clarke Carex albula Allan Carex albursina E.Sheld. Carex algida Turcz. ex V.I.Krecz. Carex allanii Hamlin Carex alligata Boott Carex alliiformis C.B.Clarke Carex allivescens V.I.Krecz. Carex × allolepis Rchb. Carex × alluvialis Figert Carex alma L.H.Bailey Carex × almii Holmb. Carex alopecoidea Tuck. Carex alopecuroides D.Don ex Tilloch & Taylor Carex × alsatica Zahn Carex alsophila F.Muell. Carex alta Boott Carex altaica Gorodkov Carex alterniflora Franch. Carex amgunensis F.Schmidt Carex amicta Boott Carex amphibola Steud. Carex amplectens Mack. Carex amplifolia Boott Carex anbouensis Katsuy. Carex andersonii Boott Carex andina Phil. Carex andringitrensis Cherm. Carex angolensis Nelmes Carex angusta (C.B.Clarke) Sameer Patil Carex angustata Boott Carex angustealata (Akiyama) S.Fujii & N.Kurosaki Carex angustilepis Reznicek & S.González Carex angustispica Reznicek & S.González Carex angustisquama Franch. Carex angustiutricula F.T.Wang & Tang ex L.K.Dai Carex × aniaiensis Fujiw. & Y.Matsuda Carex anisoneura V.I.Krecz. Carex anisostachys Liebm. Carex annectens (E.P.Bicknell) E.P.Bicknell Carex anomoea Hand.-Mazz. Carex anthoxanthea J.Presl & C.Presl Carex antoniensis A.Chev. Carex antucensis Kunze ex Kunth Carex aperta Boott Carex aphanolepis Franch. & Sav. – nerved-scale sedge Carex aphylla Kunth Carex aphyllopus Kük. Carex apoiensis Akiyama Carex appalachica J.M.Webber & P.W.Ball Carex appendiculata (Trautv. & C.A.Mey.) Kük. – appendicular sedge Carex applanata Thorsen et de Lange Carex appressa R.Br. Carex appropinquata Schumach. Carex aquatilis Wahlenb. Carex × arakanei T.Koyama Carex arcatica Meinsh. Carex arapahoensis Clokey Carex archeri Boott Carex arcta Boott Carex arctata Boott Carex arctiformis Mack. Carex arctogena Harry Sm. Carex × arctophila F.Nyl. Carex arenaria L. Carex arenicola F.Schmidt – wet-sand sedge Carex argentina Barros Carex argunensis Turcz. ex Ledeb. Carex argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot Carex argyrantha Tuck. ex Boott Carex aridula V.I.Krecz. Carex arimaensis (Ohwi) T.Hoshino Carex arisanensis Hayata Carex aristatisquamata Tang & F.T.Wang ex L.K.Dai Carex aristulifera P.C.Li Carex arizonica Licher, G.Rink & Reznicek Carex arkansana (L.H.Bailey) L.H.Bailey Carex arnellii Christ ex Scheutz – Musan sedge Carex arnottiana Nees ex Drejer Carex arsenei Kük. Carex × arthuriana C.L.Beckm. & Figert Carex ascotreta C.B. Clarke – long Mokpo sedge Carex aspericaulis (G.A.Wheeler) J.R.Starr Carex asperifructus Kük. Carex asraoi D.M.Verma Carex assiniboinensis W.Boott Carex astricta K.A.Ford Carex asturica Boiss. Carex asynchrona Naczi Carex aterrima Hoppe Carex atherodes Spreng. Carex athrostachya Olney Carex atlantica L.H.Bailey Carex atlasica (H.Lindb.) Tattou Carex atractodes F.J.Herm. Carex atrata L. – black-spike sedge Carex atratiformis Britton Carex atrivaginata Nelmes Carex atrofusca Schkuhr Carex atrofuscoides K.T.Fu Carex atropicta Steud. Carex atrosquama Mack. Carex auceps (de Lange & Heenan) K.A.Ford Carex aucklandica (Hamlin) K.A.Ford Carex augustinowiczii Meinsh. – Augustinowicz's sedge Carex aurea Nutt. Carex aureolensis Steud. Carex auriculata Franch. Carex × auroniensis L.C.Lamb. Carex austrina Mack. Carex austro-occidentalis F.T.Wang & Tang ex Y.C.Tang Carex austroalpina Bech. Carex austroamericana G.A.Wheeler Carex austrocaroliniana L.H.Bailey Carex austrocompacta K.L.Wilson Carex austrodeflexa P.D.McMillan, Sorrie & van Eerden Carex austrojacutensis Schekhovts. Carex austrolucorum (Rettig) D.B.Poind. & Naczi Carex austromexicana Reznicek Carex austrosinensis Tang & F.T.Wang ex S.Y.Liang Carex austrosulcata K.L.Wilson Carex austrotenella K.L.Wilson Carex austrozhejiangensis C.Z.Zheng & X.F.Jin Carex autumnalis Ohwi – Autumnal sand sedge Carex ayako-maedae T.Koyama Carex aztecica Mack.
B
Carex baccans Carex backii Carex badilloi Carex baileyi Carex baimaensis Carex baiposhanensis Carex bajacalifornica Carex × bakkeriana Carex balansae Carex baldensis Carex balfourii Carex ballsii Carex baltzellii Carex bamaensis Carex bambusetorum Carex banksiana Carex banksii Carex baohuashanica Carex barbarae Carex barbata Carex barbayaki Carex baronii Carex barrattii Carex basiantha Carex basiflora Carex basutorum Carex bathiei Carex bavicola Carex bebbii Carex beckii Carex × beckmanniana Carex × beckmannii Carex bella Carex × bengyana Carex benkei Carex bequaertii Carex bermudiana Carex berteroniana Carex bhutanensis Carex bichenoviana Carex bicknellii Carex bicolor Carex biegensis Carex bigelowii – Gwanmo sedge Carex × biharica Carex bijiangensis Carex bilateralis Carex billingsii Carex biltmoreana Carex × binderi Carex binervis Carex bistaminata Carex bitchuensis Carex biwensis Carex blakei Carex blanda Carex blepharicarpa – ciliated-fruit sedge Carex blinii Carex bodinieri Carex boecheriana Carex boelckeiana Carex × boenninghausiana Carex × bogstadensis Carex bohemica Carex bolanderi Carex × bolina Carex boliviensis Carex bonanzensis – yukon sedge Carex bonariensis Carex bonatiana Carex bonplandii Carex borbonica Carex borealifujianica Carex borealihinganica Carex borealipolaris Carex borii Carex boryana Carex × bosoensis Carex bostrychostigma – curled-stigma sedge Carex brachyanthera Carex brachycalama Carex brachystachys Carex bracteosa Carex bradei Carex brainerdii Carex brandisii Carex brasiliensis Carex brehmeri Carex breviaristata Carex brevicaulis Carex brevicollis Carex breviculmis – mountain nerved-fruit sedge Carex brevicuspis Carex brevihispida Carex brevior Carex breviprophylla Carex breviscapa Carex brevispicula Carex breweri Carex brizoides Carex bromoides Carex brongniartii Carex brownii – Brown's sedge Carex brunnea Carex brunnescens Carex brunnipes Carex brysonii Carex buchananii Carex bucharica Carex buekii Carex bulbostylis Carex bullata Carex burangensis Carex burchelliana Carex burkei Carex burttii Carex bushii Carex buxbaumii – marsh sedge
C
Carex cabralii Carex caduca Carex caeligena Carex × caesariensis Carex caespititia Carex calcicola Carex calcifugens Carex calcis Carex californica Carex callista Carex callitrichos Carex cambodiensis Carex camposii Carex camptoglochin Carex canariensis Carex × candrianii Carex canescens – silvery sedge Carex canina Carex capensis Carex capillacea – tiny sedge Carex capillaris – hair-like sedge Carex capilliculmis Carex capillifolia Carex capilliformis Carex capitata Carex capitellata Carex capricornis – capricornis sedge, short-hair spring sedge Carex cardiolepis Carex careyana Carex × cariei Carex caroliniana Carex carsei Carex caryophyllea Carex castanea Carex castanostachya Carex castroviejoi Carex catamarcensis Carex cataphyllodes Carex cataractae Carex catharinensis Carex caucasica Carex caudata Carex caudispicata Carex cavaleriensis Carex caxinensis Carex × cayouettei Carex celebica Carex × cenantha Carex cephaloidea Carex cephalophora Carex cephalotes Carex cercidascus Carex cercostachys Carex cespitosa – turfy sedge Carex × cetica Carex ceylanica Carex chalciolepis Carex chapmanii Carex chathamica Carex cheesemanniana Carex cheniana Carex chermezonii Carex cherokeensis Carex chiapensis Carex chichijimensis Carex chihuahuensis Carex chikungana Carex chilensis Carex chinensis Carex chinganensis Carex chinoi Carex chiovendae Carex chiwuana Carex chlorantha Carex chlorocephalula Carex chlorolepis Carex chlorosaccus Carex chlorostachys Carex chordalis Carex chordorrhiza – creeping sedge Carex chosenica – Korean sedge Carex chrysolepis Carex chuii Carex chungii Carex ciliatomarginata Carex cilicica Carex cinerascens – ashgrey sedge Carex circinata Carex cirrhosa Carex cirrhulosa Carex × clausa Carex clavata Carex clavispica Carex clivorum Carex cochinchinensis Carex cochranei Carex cockayneana Carex cognata Carex colchica Carex colensoi Carex collimitanea Carex collinsii Carex collumanthus Carex comans Carex commixta Carex communis Carex comosa Carex complanata Carex complexa Carex composita Carex concava Carex concinna Carex concinnoides Carex condensata Carex conferta Carex confertiflora Carex congdonii Carex congestiflora Carex congolensis Carex conica – miniature sedge Carex conicoides Carex coninux Carex conjuncta Carex × connectens Carex conoidea Carex consanguinea Carex conspecta Carex conspissata Carex constanceana Carex continua Carex contracta Carex cordillerana Carex cordouei Carex coriacea Carex coriogyne Carex coriophora Carex corrugata Carex × corstorphinei Carex cortesii Carex corynoidea Carex × costei Carex coulteri Carex courtallensis Carex coxiana Carex cranaocarpa Carex craspedotricha Carex crassibasis Carex crassiflora Carex crassipes Carex crawei Carex crawfordii Carex crebra Carex crebriflora Carex cremnicola Carex cremostachys Carex × crepinii Carex cretica Carex crinalis Carex crinita Carex × crinitoides Carex crispa Carex cristatella Carex cruciata Carex cruenta Carex crus-corvi Carex × cryptochlaena Carex cryptolepis Carex cryptosperma Carex cryptostachys Carex × csomadensis Carex cubensis Carex cuchumatanensis Carex cucullata Carex culmenicola Carex cumberlandensis Carex cumulata Carex curaica Carex curatorum Carex curta Carex curticeps Carex curtispica Carex curvata Carex curvicollis Carex curviculmis Carex curvula Carex cusickii Carex cuspidosa Carex cyanea Carex cylindrostachys Carex cyprica Carex cyrtostachya
D
Carex dabieensis Carex dacica Carex dahurica Carex dailingensis Carex daisenensis Carex dallii Carex daltoni Carex damiaoshanensis Carex damingshanica Carex × danielis Carex dapanshanica Carex darwinii Carex dasycarpa Carex davalliana Carex david-smithii Carex davidi Carex davisii Carex davyi Carex dawsonii Carex daxinensis Carex dayuongensis Carex × deamii Carex deasyi Carex debeauxii Carex debilior Carex debilis Carex decidua Carex deciduisquama Carex declinata Carex × decolorans Carex decomposita Carex decora Carex decurtata Carex deflexa Carex × deinbolliana Carex delacosta Carex delavayi Carex delicata Carex delongii Carex demissa Carex densa Carex densicaespitosa Carex densifimbriata Carex densipilosa Carex dentata Carex depauperata Carex depressa Carex deqinensis Carex × derelicta Carex × descendens