Carex californica

California sedge

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

California sedge is a native perennial sedge found in northern California Coast and northern California Coast Ranges in pygmy forests, meadows, swamps, and damp roadbanks at elevations below 350 meters. Flowering times not specified, this sedge produces green flowers with distinctive red or purple-brown bracts. Growing with rhizomatous stems 20 to 70 centimeters tall, the base of the stems are characteristically red or purple. Its basal leaves are minute, with stem leaves 2 to 5 millimeters wide, green, and papillate on the underside, with leaf sheaths featuring red or red-dotted coloration. The fruit is small, approximately 1.7 to 3.1 millimeters long, with a distinct beak 0.5 to 1 millimeter in length.

Habitat: Pygmy forest, meadows, swamps, damp roadbanks

Elevation: < 350 m

Bioregions: NCo, NCoRO

California counties: Mendocino, Sonoma

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