Bicoloured Sedge
Carex bicolor
Carex bicolor, the bicoloured sedge, is a species of sedge native to North America, Northern Europe and Northern Asia. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the plant's conservation status as being of least concern because it has a widespread distribution and faces no particular threats.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carex_bicolor
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Family
Cyperaceae
Genus
Carex
Bicoloured Sedge belongs to the family Cyperaceae, order Poales, within the Liliopsida class.
Species Profile
Carex bicolor, the bicoloured sedge, is a species of sedge native to North America, Northern Europe and Northern Asia. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the plant's conservation status as being of least concern because it has a widespread distribution and faces no particular threats.
Bicoloured Sedge faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized wetland environments. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the hydrological conditions and temperature regimes essential for this arctic-alpine species.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Carex bicolor has a pan-boreal distribution. In North America it is present in most of Canada, Greenland, in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. In Northern Europe and Asia, it is present at both low and high altitudes, but further south it is limited to higher altitudes. Its southerly limit is the mountains of Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. It often grows in lime-rich habitats such...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Bicoloured Sedge faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized wetland environments. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the hydrological conditions and temperature regimes essential for this arctic-alpine species.
Climate change affecting arctic and alpine ecosystems
Habitat loss and degradation of wetland areas
Changes in hydrology and water levels
Drainage and development of bog and fen habitats
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Bicoloured Sedge (Carex bicolor). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/bicoloured-sedge