Scleria pauciflora, known as few-flowered nutrush, papillose nut-sedge, and Carolina-whipgrass, is a plant in the sedge family (Cyperaceae) native to northern Mexico, the eastern United States, southern Canada, and Cuba. It is common across a broad stretch of the southeastern United States in many different habitat types, becoming rare at the northern end of its distribution. It has been observed to occur in habitats such as pine savannas, wet and dry pine flatwoods, slashpine woods, and along boggy riverbanks.Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2018. Collectors: R.F Thorne, R.A. Davidson, Loran C. Anderson, R.K. Godfrey, William Reese, Paul Redfearn, John Nelson, Robert Kral, Mabel Kral, A.H. Curtiss, J. N. Triplett, Steve L. Orzell, Edwin Bridges, Wilson Baker, Ann Johnson, J. E. Fairey, Windler Keenan-Lombardo, Norlan Henderson, A.E. Radford, john W. Thieret, Sidney McDaniel, Randy Haynes, D. Windler, R. Stastny, D.S. Correll, Helen B. Correll, Craig A. Hanson. States and counties: Florida (Liberty,, Franklin, Putnam, Calhoun, Gulf, Dixie, Hernando, Duval, Taylor, Washington, Wakulla, Jefferson, Leon, Jackson) Georgia (Thomas, Tattnall) Maryland (Baltimore) Missouri (Hickory) North Carolina (Lee) Louisiana (Washington) Texas (Van Zandt).
Taxonomy It was first formally described in 1805. Three varieties are accepted: Scleria pauciflora var. caroliniana Alph.Wood Scleria pauciflora var. curtissii (Britton) Fairey Scleria pauciflora var. pauciflora
Conservation status It is listed as endangered in Massachusetts and Michigan and as threatened in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. In Canada, it is only known from Ontario, where it is listed as an S1 species (Critically Imperiled).
The variety Scleria pauciflora var. caroliniana is listed as endangered in Connecticut.
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