Carex haydeniana
Cloud or hayden's sedge
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Cloud or hayden's sedge is a native perennial sedge found in the Sierra Nevada, Warner Mountains, White and Inyo Mountains, and Desert Mountains on rocky slopes and moist soil at elevations of 2,400 to 4,200 meters. With an intriguing dark brown to occasionally green or gold dense, spheric inflorescence, this sedge produces distinctive flower clusters. Growing with generally decumbent stems 9 to 20 centimeters tall, it spreads in compact clusters across alpine and subalpine terrain. Its leaves are narrow, flat blades 1.5 to 4 millimeters wide, with occasionally cross-wrinkled sheaths. The plant's unique perigynia are green, dark brown, or coppery, with lanceolate to wide-ovate shapes featuring a small cylindric beak.
Habitat: Uncommon. Rocky slopes, flats, moist soil
Elevation: 2400-4200 m
Bioregions: SNH, Wrn, W&I, DMtns
California counties: Inyo, Mono, Tuolumne, Lassen, Alpine, Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Modoc, Mariposa
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.