New York Natural Heritage Program
Yellow Flatsedge
Cyperus flavescens L.
Monocots

Habitat [-]
Yellow Flatsedge occurs at wet sandy sites. In New York such habitats have included salt marshes, coastal plain pond shores, wet, sandy, weedy roadsides (New York Natural Heritage Program 2007). Wet soil (Gleason & Cronquist 1991).

Associated Ecological Communities [-]
  • Coastal plain pond shore
    The gently sloping shore of a coastal plain pond with seasonally and annually fluctuating water levels. Plants growing on the pond shore vary with water levels. In dry years when water levels are low there is often a dense growth of annual sedges, grasses, and herbs. Submerged and floating-leaved aquatic plants, such as fragrant waterlily and pondweeds, may become "stranded" on the exposed shore. In wet years when the water level is high only a few emergents and floating-leaved aquatics may be noticeable. The vegetation of this pond shore community can change dramatically from one year to the next depending on fluctuations in groundwater levels.
  • High salt marsh*
    A coastal marsh community that occurs in sheltered areas of the seacoast, in a zone extending from mean high tide up to the limit of spring tides. It is periodically flooded by spring tides and flood tides. High salt marshes typically consist of a mosaic of patches that are mostly dominated by a single graminoid species.

    * probable association but not confirmed
  • Unpaved road/path
    A sparsely vegetated road or pathway of gravel, bare soil, or bedrock outcrop. These roads or pathways are maintained by regular trampling or scraping of the land surface. The substrate consists of the soil or parent material at the site which may be modified by the addition of local organic material (woodchips, logs, etc.) or sand and gravel. Abandoned railroad beds where tracks have been removed are included here. One characteristic plant is path rush.

Associated Species [-]
  • Straw-colored Flatsedge (Cyperus strigosus)
  • Common Rush (Juncus effusus)
  • Spreading Panic-grass (Panicum dichotomiflorum)
  • Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)