Carex barbarae
Whiteroot or santa barbara sedge, Whiteroot Or Santa Barbara Sedge
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Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex barbarae (Whiteroot or santa barbara sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by brown spikes that don't flatten and bristly beak teeth are distinctive.
Whiteroot is a California native perennial sedge found in the Klamath Ranges, northern and central Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, central Coast, southern California, Santa Cruz Island, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in seasonally wet places at elevations below 1,000 meters. Its stem base ranges from brown to purple, with leaf blades 3.5 to 9 millimeters wide and distinctive red-dotted sheaths that are dark copper or purple near the tips. Growing in dense clumps with complex lateral spikelets 2.5 to 8 centimeters long and 5 to 8 millimeters wide, this sedge develops brown spikelets with staminate or pistillate tips. Its leaves feature distinctive red-dotted sheaths that are generally fibrous on lower portions, creating a rich textural appearance. The fruit develops as small, brown structures with thick, tough perigynia that spread out and feature slightly notched tips with bristly teeth.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 133 sympatric species; brown spikes that don't flatten and bristly beak teeth are distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Seasonally wet places
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: Sonoma, Fresno, Los Angeles, Butte, Humboldt, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, San Bernardino, Merced, Napa, Tulare, Santa Clara, Solano, Yolo, San Mateo, Stanislaus, Sacramento, Nevada, Amador, El Dorado, Calaveras, Sutter, Madera, Trinity, Kern, Kings, Modoc, Shasta, Lassen, Glenn, Tehama, Yuba, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Del Norte
Outside California: southern Oregon
How to tell it apart
vs Juncus: Carex stems are triangular when rolled; Juncus stems are round and often hollow with partitions inside.; vs Cyperus: Carex has seeds in individual flasks; Cyperus has umbrella-like flower clusters with flattened ribbon-like spikes.; vs Plantago: Carex has triangular stems and brown/green spikelets; Plantago has round flower stalks and white/brown spike flowers.; vs Eleocharis: Carex has leaves along the stem; Eleocharis is nearly leafless with just one spikelet per stem.; vs Schoenoplectus: Carex has leafy stems and flask-enclosed seeds; Schoenoplectus has leafless round stems with exposed seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Carex barbarae native to California?
Yes. Carex barbarae is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex barbarae grow?
Carex barbarae occurs in Sonoma, Fresno, Los Angeles, Butte, Humboldt, Monterey, Orange, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Carex barbarae belong to?
Carex barbarae is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex barbarae grow in?
Carex barbarae grows in Seasonally wet places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.