Cyperaceae

Blister sedge

Carex vesicaria L.

Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Carex

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Blister sedge (Carex vesicaria) — FlowerPhoto: Laura J. Costello, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (21)

Belarusian: Асака пузырчатая
Bulgarian: Мехуреста острица
Chinese: 胀囊苔草, 胀囊薹草, 脹囊苔草
Czech: Ostřice měchýřkatá, Ostřice puchýřkatá
Danish: Blære-Star
Dutch: Blaaszegge
English: Blister sedge
Estonian: Põistarn
Finnish: Luhtasara
French: Laîche vésiculeuse
German: Blasen-Segge, Blasensegge
hsb: Pucherkata rězna
Japanese: オニナルコスゲ
Latvian: Pūslīšu grīslis
Lithuanian: Pūslėtoji viksva
Norwegian Bokmål: Sennegras, Sennegress
Persian: کارکس وسیکاریا
Polish: Turzyca pęcherzykowata
Russian: Осока пузырчатая, Осока пузыреватая, Осока пузыревидная, Осока чёточная
Swedish: Blåsstarr
Welsh: Hesgen chwysigennaidd

Synonyms

Carex bongardiana C.A.Mey.
Carex exsiccata var. globosa (Olney) L.H.Bailey
Carex exsiccata var. pungens L.H.Bailey
Carex furcata Lapeyr.
Carex miliaris var. raeana (Boott) Kük.
Carex monile Tuck. ex Boott
Carex monile Tuck.
Carex monile var. colorata L.H.Bailey
Carex monile var. monstrosa L.H.Bailey
Carex monile var. obtusisquamis (L.H.Bailey) L.H.Bailey
Carex monile var. pacifica L.H.Bailey
Carex monile var. raeana (Boott) L.H.Bailey
Carex pendula Moench
Carex pulla f. dichroa (Andersson) Blytt
Carex pulla f. pedunculata Kjellm.
Carex pulla f. polystachya Blytt
Carex pulla var. sibirica Christ
Carex raeana Boott
Carex salina var. ambusta L.H.Bailey
Carex saxatilis f. dichroa (Andersson) E.S.Marshall
Carex schrenkiana C.A.Mey. ex Trevir.
Carex suilla J.Fellm.
Carex vaseyi Dewey
Carex vesicaria f. alpigena (Fr.) Neuman
Carex vesicaria f. aurea Lange
Carex vesicaria f. brachystachys Lindeb.
Carex vesicaria f. dichroa (Andersson) Kük.
Carex vesicaria f. dichroa (Andersson) Neuman
Carex vesicaria f. elatior Andersson
Carex vesicaria f. fluitans Raymond
Carex vesicaria f. globosa (Olney) Kük.
Carex vesicaria f. gracillima Kük.
Carex vesicaria f. hexasticha Hoschedé
Carex vesicaria f. monstrosa (L.H.Bailey) Kük.
Carex vesicaria f. pendulina Blytt
Carex vesicaria f. polystachya (Blytt) Kük.
Carex vesicaria f. pungens (L.H.Bailey) Kük.
Carex vesicaria f. umbrosa Kük.
Carex vesicaria subsp. alpigena (Fr.) Printz
Carex vesicaria subsp. flavescens Ehrh.

and 23 more.

Flowers

In flower: May to July (from 144 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: green (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

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

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Laura J. Costello, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Георгий Виноградов (Georgy Vinogradov), CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Eugene Popov, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Георгий Виноградов (Georgy Vinogradov), CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Екатерина Войнова, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: naturalist charlie, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Brandon Wheeler, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Radio Tonreg from Vienna, Austria, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Pierre Cartier, CC0, from iNaturalist

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.