Carex pulicaris
species of plant
Carex pulicaris, the flea sedge, is a species of sedge in the genus Carex native to Europe.
Description
Carex pulicaris is a small sedge, with stiff stems 10–30 centimetres (4–12 in) tall. The leaves are 5–25 cm (2–10 in) long and less than 1 millimetre (0.04 in) wide. The inflorescence comprises a single spike, with 3–10 female flowers towards the base, and male flowers towards the tip. As the utricles mature, they bend away from the spike axis and become sensitive to touch; the way the seeds appear to jump from the stem gives rise to the plant's vernacular name. Before the utricles have become deflexed, C. pulicaris closely resembles C. rupestris, with which it often grows. It may also be confused with C. pauciflora, which usually bears only 2–3 fruit per stem.
Distribution and ecology
Carex pulicaris is found across much of Europe, from Spain to Estonia and north to Iceland and Fennoscandia, but excluding the Mediterranean region. It grows in a variety of wet habitats, including bogs, fens and wet flushes.
Taxonomy
Carex pulicaris was first described in Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species Plantarum.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Carex pulicaris” is species of plant. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Carex, pulicaris and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of plant” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 16, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q159239. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1753.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Carex pulicaris”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Carex pulicaris primary sources, Carex pulicaris archive and Carex research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Carex pulicaris”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Carex pulicaris” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.