Cyperaceae

Large yellow-sedge

Carex flava L.

Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Carex

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Large yellow-sedge (Carex flava) — FlowerPhoto: Shaan Aroeste, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (20)

Belarusian: Асака жоўтая, Сітавіна, Сітовіна
Bulgarian: Жълта острица
Catalan: Laîche Jaunâtre
Czech: Ostřice rusá
Dutch: Gele zegge
English: Large yellow-sedge, Yellow sedge
Estonian: Kollane tarn
Finnish: Keltasara
French: Laîche jaunâtre
German: Gelb-Segge, Gelbe Segge, Laîche Jaunâtre
hsb: Žołta rězna
Latvian: Dzeltenais grīslis
Lithuanian: Gelsvoji viksva, Laîche Jaunâtre
Macedonian: Жолта острика
Norwegian Bokmål: Gulstarr
Polish: Turzyca żółta
Russian: Осока жёлтая, Осока желтенькая, Осока жёлтенькая
Swedish: Knagglestarr, Laîche Jaunâtre
Tatar: Сары күрән
Welsh: Hesgen felen fawr

Synonyms

Anithista flava (L.) Raf.
Carex echinata Lam.
Carex flava f. brevirostris Junge
Carex flava f. graminis (L.H.Bailey) Scoggan
Carex flava f. patula (Klett & Richt.) Schur
Carex flava f. pygmaea (Hartm.) C.Vicioso
Carex flava f. remotiuscula Schur
Carex flava f. uetliaca (Suter) Asch. & Graebn.
Carex flava f. umbrosa Kneuck.
Carex flava subsp. alpina (Kneuck.) O.Bolòs, Masalles & Vigo
Carex flava subsp. macrorrhyncha Čelak.
Carex flava var. alpina Kneuck.
Carex flava var. alpina Kneuck
Carex flava var. barrerae O.Bolòs, Masalles & Vigo
Carex flava var. brevirostris Asch. & Graebn.
Carex flava var. congesta Neuman
Carex flava var. deficiens Peterm.
Carex flava var. densa Gaudin
Carex flava var. dispersa Neuman
Carex flava var. fertilis Peck
Carex flava var. flava
Carex flava var. gaspensis Fernald
Carex flava var. graminis L.H.Bailey
Carex flava var. intermedia Coss. & Germ.
Carex flava var. laxior (Kük.) Gleason
Carex flava var. patula Klett & Richt.
Carex flava var. pygmaea Andersson
Carex flava var. pygmaea Hartm.
Carex flava var. rectirostra Gaudin
Carex flava var. rectirostris Peterm.
Carex flava var. uetliaca (Suter) Nyman
Carex flava var. vulgaris Döll
Carex flavella V.I.Krecz.
Carex flavofulva Beurl.
Carex foliosa All.
Carex laxior (Kük.) Mack.
Carex lepidocarpa f. intermedia (Coss. & Germ.) Asch. & Graebn.
Carex lepidocarpa var. laxior Kük.
Carex nevadensis subsp. alpina (Kneuck.) Podlech
Carex nevadensis subsp. flavella (V.I.Krecz.) Patzke & Podlech

and 9 more.

Flowers

In flower: May to July (from 55 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Alaska: native, Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native, St. Pierre and Miquelon: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Shaan Aroeste, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: aarongunnar, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Георгий Виноградов (Georgy Vinogradov), CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Shaan Aroeste, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: jan de boer, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: User:Tigerente, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Gerd, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Bruce Cook, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Philipp Baumgartner, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Carex

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.