Carex gynodynama

Wonder-woman sedge, Wonder-Woman Sedge

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Wonder-woman sedge is a California native perennial found in northern coastal regions including the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, and San Francisco Bay Area in moist meadows and open forests on serpentine soils at elevations below 600 meters. The sedge produces delicate reddish-brown to purple flower bracts with green midribs, creating subtle color variations in its terminal spikelet. Growing with loose, tufted stems 20 to 90 centimeters tall, this sedge develops hairy leaves 3 to 9 millimeters wide. Its distinctive leaves are softly textured, with blade surfaces covered in fine hairs that give the plant a subtle, textured appearance. The fruit is particularly notable, featuring a complex perigynia with purple splotches and red dots, creating an intricate surface texture measuring 2.3 to 2.5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Moist meadows in open forest, serpentine

Elevation: < 600 m

Bioregions: NCo, KR, NCoRO, n CCo (Marin, Santa Cruz cos.), SnFrB, SCoRO

California counties: Marin, Mendocino, Humboldt, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Butte, San Mateo, Monterey, Alameda, Del Norte

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