Carex nervina

Sierra sedge, Sierra Sedge

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Sierra sedge is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and San Joaquin Valley in moist to wet places at elevations of 1,200 to 3,000 meters. Its flowering time is not specified in the source data. Growing in dense, large raised clumps with stems that are spongy when fresh and 3.5 to 5 millimeters wide, this sedge forms distinctive tussocks in moisture-rich habitats. Its leaves have white-spotted sheaths with a U-shaped mouth, featuring a thick rim and blades 3.5 to 5 millimeters wide. The plant produces dense inflorescences 1.5 to 3 centimeters long with 6 to 18 millimeters wide spikelets, featuring pistillate flower bracts that are brown with white margins.

Habitat: Moist to wet places

Elevation: 1200-3000 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoR, CaRH, SNH, SnJV

California counties: Plumas, Mono, Mariposa, Fresno, Madera, Placer, Tulare, Shasta, Nevada, Humboldt, Tehama, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Lassen, Sierra, Glenn, Alpine, Butte, Tuolumne, Amador, Trinity, Mendocino, 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.