Carex concinnoides

Northwestern sedge

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Northwestern sedge is a native perennial sedge found in the Klamath Ranges and northern Coast Ranges in dry to moist open forests and meadows at elevations of 15 to 900 meters. With a distinctive dark purple-red stem base, this sedge produces sparsely distributed spikes with purple spikelet bracts from spring to summer. Growing 15 to 35 centimeters tall with rhizomatous roots, it forms delicate clumps with sickle-shaped leaves 2 to 5 millimeters wide. Its leaves are characterized by a V-shaped sheath mouth and have an unusual ascending growth pattern, often matching or slightly exceeding the plant's inflorescence. The fruit is small, approximately 2 to 3 millimeters long, with a short purple-tipped beak and white to light brown perigynia.

Habitat: dry to moist open forest, meadows, often serpentine

Elevation: 15-900 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoR

California counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Siskiyou

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