Carex feta
Green-sheathed sedge, Green-Sheathed Sedge
(c) Gabriel Campbell-Martinez, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex feta (Green-sheathed sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by distinctive green-ribbed sheaths and pale inflorescence.
Green-sheathed sedge is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, and Modoc Plateau in meadows, streambanks, open forests, and seeps at elevations of 30 to 3,100 meters. Producing white-green to pale gold inflorescences with distinct spikelets, this sedge has distinctive green-ribbed leaf sheaths with a thin white triangular area near the top. Growing erect with stems supporting leaf blades 2.5 to 5 millimeters wide, it forms clumps without spreading by stolons. Its leaf sheaths feature a thin white area extending less than 6 millimeters below the top, with a contraligule 4 to 8 millimeters long. The fruit develops in ovate to wide-ovate perigynia, pale green to gold with a flat margin and a short cylindric beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 130 sympatric species; distinctive green-ribbed sheaths and pale inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, streambanks, open forest, seeps, damp or wet soil
Elevation: 30-3100 m
California counties: Butte, Fresno, Humboldt, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Lake, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Amador, Trinity, Madera, Calaveras, Kern, Mendocino, Stanislaus, Del Norte, Napa, Marin, Santa Clara, Tehama, Lassen, Yuba, Tulare, Sierra, Colusa, San Joaquin, Modoc, San Diego, Riverside, Sacramento
Outside California: to British Columbia
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 feta native to California?
Yes. Carex feta is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex feta grow?
Carex feta occurs in Butte, Fresno, Humboldt, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas and other counties, at elevations of 30-3100 m.
What plant family does Carex feta belong to?
Carex feta is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex feta grow in?
Carex feta grows in Meadows, streambanks, open forest, seeps, damp or wet soil.
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.