Carex serratodens
Saw-toothed sedge, Saw-Toothed Sedge
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex serratodens (Saw-toothed sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by hairy-awned bracts and papillate 3-sided perigynia.
Saw-toothed sedge is a California native perennial sedge found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Coast Ranges, high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, and southern Coast Ranges in moist places at elevations below 1,800 meters. Forming dense tufted clusters with stems 30 to 120 centimeters tall, this sedge has narrow leaf blades 1.7 to 4 millimeters wide. Its distinctive pistillate flower bracts are dark purple with a pale midrib, featuring delicate hairy awns that add texture to the terminal spikelet. The leaves are characteristically basal and minute, with the plant producing distinctive fruit 1.8 to 2.5 millimeters long, surrounded by green perigynia spotted with purple. The perigynia are wide-elliptic to ovate, with a short purple-tinged beak and minute hairs, creating a complex and intricate botanical structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 124 sympatric species; diagnostic hairy-awned bracts and papillate 3-sided perigynia
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist places
Elevation: < 1800 m
California counties: Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Tehama, Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Humboldt, Marin, Mariposa, Monterey, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Trinity, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, San Bernardino, Colusa, Nevada, Stanislaus, Kern, Glenn, Butte, Alameda, El Dorado, Fresno, Calaveras, San Benito, Merced, Santa Cruz, Solano, Mono, Plumas, Placer
Outside California: southwestern Oregon, Arizona
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 serratodens native to California?
Yes. Carex serratodens is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex serratodens grow?
Carex serratodens occurs in Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Tehama, Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Humboldt, Marin and other counties, at elevations of < 1800 m.
What plant family does Carex serratodens belong to?
Carex serratodens is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex serratodens grow in?
Carex serratodens grows in Moist places.
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.