Carex raynoldsii

Raynold's sedge

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Raynold's sedge is a California native perennial sedge found in the Klamath Ranges, high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Warner Mountains in mountain meadows at elevations of 1,800 to 3,100 meters. With a tufted growth habit, this sedge forms dense clusters with stems 20 to 75 centimeters tall and leaf blades 3 to 8 millimeters wide. Its pistillate flower bracts are distinctively purple or feature a pale midrib, creating an unusual visual texture. The sedge produces fruits with green, veined perigynia that spread outward, with each perigynium featuring a subtle purple-tinged beak. Its compact, clustered growth and meadow habitat make it a distinctive component of high-elevation mountain ecosystems.

Habitat: Meadows

Elevation: 1800-3100 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, SNH, Wrn

California counties: Butte, Fresno, Alpine, El Dorado, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tulare, Tuolumne, Lassen, Siskiyou, Modoc, Placer

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