flea sedge vs Hammer sedge

Carex pulicaris compared with Carex hirta

Key Differences

• flea sedge is Critically Endangered while Hammer sedge is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	flea sedge	Hammer sedge
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order same	Poales (Grasses)	Poales (Grasses)
Family same	Cyperaceae	Cyperaceae
Genus same	Carex	Carex
Species	Carex pulicaris	Carex hirta

Evolutionary Relationship

flea sedge and Hammer sedge share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Carex.

Conservation Status

flea sedge

CR — Critically Endangered

Hammer sedge

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	flea sedge	Hammer sedge
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

flea sedge

Habitat

Inhabits boreal forests and taiga within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Hammer sedge

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden