Carex cusickii
Cusick's sedge
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex cusickii (Cusick's sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by blackish shiny perigynia with pale groove are distinctive.
Cusick's sedge is a California native perennial sedge found in northern coastal California, Klamath Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, central Coast Ranges, San Francisco Bay Area, and North Coast Ranges in shores, peatlands, and fens at elevations up to 2,100 meters. Growing in dense tufted clusters, this sedge forms distinctive clumps with stems 2.5 to 6 millimeters wide, featuring leaf sheaths with distinctive red dots and U-shaped mouths. Its leaves have wide ligules more than twice as long as their width, with reddish cross-wrinkled sheaths that create a unique textural appearance. The sedge produces inflorescences 4 to 8 centimeters long with spikelets that have brown bracts with white margins. Its fruit is small and shiny, with a black, slightly spreading perigynia bearing a white-tipped beak 1 to 1.5 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 124 sympatric species; blackish shiny perigynia with pale groove are distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shores, peatland, fens
Elevation: < 2100 m
California counties: Humboldt, Sonoma, Tuolumne, Mendocino, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Trinity, Marin, Nevada, Glenn, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Sierra, Butte, Del Norte, Monterey, Placer, Lassen, Shasta, Mono, San Francisco, El Dorado, Mariposa
Outside California: to British Columbia, Wyoming
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 cusickii native to California?
Yes. Carex cusickii is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex cusickii grow?
Carex cusickii occurs in Humboldt, Sonoma, Tuolumne, Mendocino, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Trinity, Marin and other counties, at elevations of < 2100 m.
What plant family does Carex cusickii belong to?
Carex cusickii is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex cusickii grow in?
Carex cusickii grows in Shores, peatland, fens.
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.