Carex gravida L.H. Bailey. Section: [26d] Section 4.0 Phaestoglochin. Pregnant Sedge, Heavy Sedge. Phen: (Late Apr) May-Jun. Hab: Damp, mesic, or dry calcareous prairies, fields, pastures, roadsides. Dist: ON west to SK, south to TN, MS, AR, TX, and NM, rarely introduced eastward. Steury (1999) reported var. lunelliana as new to MD (Calvert County). Reported for DE (Longbottom, Naczi, & Knapp 2016).

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Two varieties or species (see synonymy) are sometimes distinguished: var gravida with perigynia 4-5 mm long, 2× as long as wide, nerveless or very obscurely nerved on the dorsal face, and var. lunelliana, with perigynia 3-4.5 mm long, 1.3-1.5× as long as wide, strongly few-nerved on the dorsal face.

Synonymy: = Ar, ETx1, FNA23, K3, K4, Mi, Mo1, NcTx, Va; = n/a – Pa, Tat; > Carex gravida L.H.Bailey – Il, Mackenzie (1931-1935); > Carex gravida L.H.Bailey var. gravida – C, F, G, GrPl, K1, Tn; > Carex gravida L.H.Bailey var. lunelliana – C, F, G, GrPl, K1, RAB, Tn; > Carex lunelliana Mack. – Il, Mackenzie (1931-1935)

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
• Great Plains: FACW
• Midwest: FACU
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACU

Heliophily: 7