Carex scabriuscula
Siskiyou sedge
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Carex scabriuscula (Siskiyou sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by dioecious condition and hairy perigynia on serpentine.
Siskiyou sedge is a native perennial sedge found in the Klamath Ranges and northern Sierra Nevada (Plumas County) in wet serpentine meadows at elevations of 850 to 2,300 meters. Flowering time is not specified, but this sedge produces small, delicate spikelets in clusters of 1 to 4. Growing with loosely clustered stems 30 to 45 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive base scaled with non-fibrous leaf sheaths. Its leaves are narrow, measuring 2 to 3 millimeters wide and shorter than the flowering stems, with distinctive brown to nearly black perigynia that are minutely hairy near the short beak. The plant is dioecious, with staminate flowers bearing anthers 2 to 2.8 millimeters long and pistillate flowers occasionally having 4 stigmas.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 103 sympatric species; diagnostic dioecious condition and hairy perigynia on serpentine
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet serpentine meadows
Elevation: 850-2300 m
California counties: Siskiyou, Trinity, Plumas, Del Norte, Shasta, Butte
Outside California: to southwestern Oregon
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 scabriuscula native to California?
Yes. Carex scabriuscula is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex scabriuscula grow?
Carex scabriuscula occurs in Siskiyou, Trinity, Plumas, Del Norte, Shasta, Butte, at elevations of 850-2300 m.
What plant family does Carex scabriuscula belong to?
Carex scabriuscula is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
Is Carex scabriuscula rare or endangered?
Carex scabriuscula carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
What habitat does Carex scabriuscula grow in?
Carex scabriuscula grows in Wet serpentine meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.