Carex davyi
Davy's sedge
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3
Carex davyi (Davy's sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family.
Davy's sedge is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada in dry, often sparse meadows and slopes at elevations of 1,400 to 3,300 meters. The sedge produces distinctive orange-brown spikelets from sparse inflorescences 10 to 25 millimeters long. Growing with stems 25 to 35 centimeters tall, it has narrow leaf blades measuring 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters wide. Its leaf bracts are notable for mostly covering the perigynia, with obtuse to acuminate tips and narrow or absent white margins. The mature fruits are small, measuring 1.9 to 3 millimeters long, with red-gold perigynia that have pronounced abaxial veins.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry often sparse meadows, slopes
Elevation: 1400-3300 m
California counties: Sierra, Alpine, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Nevada, Lassen, Placer, Butte, Calaveras
Outside California: to southern Washington
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.3
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 davyi native to California?
Yes. Carex davyi is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex davyi grow?
Carex davyi occurs in Sierra, Alpine, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Nevada, Lassen, Placer, Butte and other counties, at elevations of 1400-3300 m.
What plant family does Carex davyi belong to?
Carex davyi is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
Is Carex davyi rare or endangered?
Carex davyi carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.3, state rank S3.
What habitat does Carex davyi grow in?
Carex davyi grows in dry often sparse meadows, slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.