Coefficient of Conservatism:
3
Coefficient of Wetness:
-3
Wetness Index:
FACW
Physiognomy:
Nt P-Sedge
R. Schipper
Moist to wet ground generally: marshes, swales, ditches, and shores; swamps, shrub thickets, shaded borders, rarely in drier sites, and very uncommon northwards.
Sometimes confused with C. scoparia, especially when immature. The pistillate scales are usually ± blunt and hyaline-tipped, while in C. scoparia they tend to be narrowly acuminate to very sharp tips. The leaves are generally narrower in C. scoparia. Depauperate shade forms with sparse and sometimes lax inflorescences are difficult to distinguish from C. projecta, and narrow leaved plants generally are hard to key because of the difficulty of discerning the loose sheaths. See the notes under C. cristatella.
A few specimens from southernmost Michigan may be referrable to var. sangamonensis Clokey, with broader, shorter perigynia ca. 2-3 times as long as wide. This entity, occasionally recognized as a distinct species, Carex sangamonensis (Clokey) Mohlenbr., needs more study in our region.