Carex leporinella
Bog hare sedge, Bog Hare Sedge
(c) Anders Hastings, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex leporinella (Bog hare sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by elevation and leaf width.
Bog hare sedge is a California native perennial sedge found in the Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada High Sierra, Sierra Nevada eastern edge, and White and Inyo Mountains in moist meadows and lakeshores at elevations of 1,900 to 4,000 meters. Its inflorescence displays gold to brown spikelets with distinct, generally fusiform shapes, creating delicate clusters. Growing with thin stems and narrow leaves that are typically folded and less than 1.5 millimeters wide, this sedge forms dense, compact clumps. Its leaves feature a small ligule 1 to 2 millimeters long and delicate gold or red-brown bracts with green or gold centers and white margins. The fruit is small, approximately 1.4 to 1.9 millimeters long, with planoconvex perigynia that are gold to nearly white with 3 to 7 subtle veins on each side.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 104 sympatric species; elevation and leaf width are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist or wet meadows, lakeshores
Elevation: 1900-4000 m
California counties: Fresno, Mono, Siskiyou, Tulare, Tuolumne, Nevada, Inyo, Shasta, El Dorado, Alpine, Madera, Mariposa, Calaveras, Lassen, Plumas, Sierra, Mendocino, Trinity, Humboldt, San Francisco, Butte, Placer
Outside California: to Washington, Montana, Utah
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 leporinella native to California?
Yes. Carex leporinella is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex leporinella grow?
Carex leporinella occurs in Fresno, Mono, Siskiyou, Tulare, Tuolumne, Nevada, Inyo, Shasta and other counties, at elevations of 1900-4000 m.
What plant family does Carex leporinella belong to?
Carex leporinella is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex leporinella grow in?
Carex leporinella grows in Moist or wet meadows, lakeshores.
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.