Calliscirpus criniger

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Calliscirpus criniger is a California native perennial found in northwestern California in wet meadows, streambanks, and seepage slopes, particularly on serpentine landscapes at elevations of 200 to 2,250 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces delicate spikelets 5 to 15 millimeters long with subtle flower bracts. Growing 20 to 100 centimeters tall with slender, clustered stems, it develops distinctive perianth bristles 4.5 to 9 millimeters long covered in dense, long barbs. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, measuring 4 to 45 centimeters in length and just 1 to 6 millimeters wide. In wet serpentine environments, this grass-like perennial creates intricate clusters of fine, bristly flowering structures.

Habitat: Wet meadows, streambanks, seepage slopes; generally on serpentine

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 200-2250 m

Bioregions: NW

California counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Tulare, Mendocino, Shasta, Trinity

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.