Carex orestera

Boulder sedge, Boulder Sedge

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Boulder sedge is a California native perennial found in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains and White and Inyo Mountains on wet or rocky slopes, snow-melt channels, and mountain summits at elevations of 3,000 to 4,200 meters. The sedge forms dense tufted clusters with stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall and gray-green leaf blades 2.5 to 5 millimeters wide. Growing in compact clumps, it develops distinctive head-like spikes with dark purple bracts that have white-tipped margins. Its leaves are narrow and grayish-green, creating a tight, clustered growth pattern characteristic of high-altitude alpine environments. The plant produces small, plump perigynia approximately 2.5 to 3.4 millimeters long, dark purple in color with a minimal beak.

Habitat: Wet or +- dry rocky slopes, bowls, snow-melt channels, summits

Elevation: 3000-4200 m

Bioregions: c&amps SNH, W&ampI

California counties: Tulare, Inyo, Mono, Fresno, Tuolumne

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