Carex phaeocephala
Dunhead or alpine hare sedge, Dunhead, Alpine Hare Sedge
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex phaeocephala (Dunhead or alpine hare sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by dense golden-brown inflorescence and obovate perigynia.
Dunhead sedge is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Tehachapi Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, Warner Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in dry, often rocky soils at elevations of 2,500 to 4,000 meters. Its inflorescence features gold to brown or brown and green spikelets 10 to 35 millimeters long, creating distinctive club-shaped clusters. Growing with slender stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall, this sedge has narrow leaves 1.2 to 2.5 millimeters wide that are typically folded or downcurved. Its leaves feature small ligules less than 2.5 millimeters long, with pistillate flower bracts 3.7 to 5.1 millimeters long in dark brown to orange tones. The fruit develops with pale green to cream-white perigynia that have thin, somewhat translucent walls and a subtle green margin.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 108 sympatric species; key features are dense golden-brown inflorescence and obovate perigynia
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry often rocky soils, slopes
Elevation: 2500-4000 m
California counties: Mono, San Bernardino, Inyo, Los Angeles, Alpine, Fresno, Madera, Siskiyou, Tulare, Tuolumne, Riverside, El Dorado, Shasta, Trinity, Lassen, Modoc, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer
Outside California: to Alaska, western Canada, Colorado
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 phaeocephala native to California?
Yes. Carex phaeocephala is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex phaeocephala grow?
Carex phaeocephala occurs in Mono, San Bernardino, Inyo, Los Angeles, Alpine, Fresno, Madera, Siskiyou and other counties, at elevations of 2500-4000 m.
What plant family does Carex phaeocephala belong to?
Carex phaeocephala is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex phaeocephala grow in?
Carex phaeocephala grows in dry often rocky soils, slopes.
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.