Carex pellita
Woolly sedge
(c) Daniel McNair, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex pellita (Woolly sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by thick-walled, ribbed perigynia with outcurved beak teeth.
Woolly sedge is a California native perennial found in coastal, northern California, Klamath Ranges, high Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Great Basin regions in marshy places and creekbanks at elevations of 60 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from late spring to summer, this sedge produces purple-brown spikelets with narrow white margins. Growing with rhizomatous stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall, it develops dense clumps in wet habitats. Its leaves are flat or folded in an M-shape, 2 to 4.5 millimeters wide, with a prominent sharp midvein keel. The fruit features thick-walled perigynia 2.8 to 5 millimeters long, generally purple with an outcurved beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 133 sympatric species; key features are thick-walled, ribbed perigynia with outcurved beak teeth
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally marshy places, creekbanks
Elevation: 60-3300 m
California counties: Inyo, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Kern, Mono, Santa Barbara, Plumas, Alpine, El Dorado, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Riverside, Solano, Orange, Sierra, Madera, Lassen, Marin, Contra Costa, Butte, Mariposa, Tehama, Del Norte, Ventura, Shasta, Humboldt, Monterey, Lake
Outside California: to Alaska, eastern North America
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 pellita native to California?
Yes. Carex pellita is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex pellita grow?
Carex pellita occurs in Inyo, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Sonoma and other counties, at elevations of 60-3300 m.
What plant family does Carex pellita belong to?
Carex pellita is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex pellita grow in?
Carex pellita grows in Generally marshy places, creekbanks.
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.