Carex spissa
San diego sedge, San Diego Sedge
(c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex spissa (San diego sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by distinctive large size and glaucous leaves.
San diego sedge is a California native perennial found in the central coast, southern coast, and Peninsular Ranges in creekbanks, seeps, and canyon bottoms at elevations up to 1,200 meters. Flowering from spring to summer, this sedge produces gold to red-brown flower bracts with white margins, creating delicate clusters along its stems. Growing as a robust, dense clump with stout stems reaching 1 to 1.8 meters tall, it develops thick blue-green leaves 6 to 18 millimeters wide with very sharply scabrous margins. Its leaves have a distinctive blue-green coloration, especially when young, with a striking texture that gives the plant a unique architectural quality. The fruit is small, obovate, and subtly colored with green and red dots, forming dense clusters along the lateral spikelets.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 61 sympatric species; distinctive large size and glaucous leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Creekbanks, seeps, canyon bottoms, on serpentine or not
Elevation: < 1200 m
California counties: San Diego, Los Angeles, Monterey, Orange, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Ventura
Outside California: Baja California
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 spissa native to California?
Yes. Carex spissa is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex spissa grow?
Carex spissa occurs in San Diego, Los Angeles, Monterey, Orange, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Ventura, at elevations of < 1200 m.
What plant family does Carex spissa belong to?
Carex spissa is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex spissa grow in?
Carex spissa grows in Creekbanks, seeps, canyon bottoms, on serpentine or not.
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.