Carex subnigricans
Dark mountain sedge, Dark Mountain Sedge
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Dark mountain sedge is a California native perennial sedge found in the Sierra Nevada, eastern Sierra Nevada, and White and Inyo Mountains in high-elevation meadows and dry, rocky slopes at elevations of 2,600 to 3,800 meters. Its compact growth features rhizomatous stems 2.5 to 20 centimeters tall with very narrow, green leaves that are inrolled or channeled. Growing in tight clusters, this sedge produces bisexual spikelets with light brown bracts and distinctive golden-brown perigynia. Its extremely narrow leaves, barely 0.4 to 1 millimeter wide, are shorter than the plant's inflorescence. The plant's perigynia are small, ascending, and range from 2.5 to 4.1 millimeters long, with a delicate bristle-like axis.
Habitat: Meadows, generally dry, rocky slopes
Elevation: 2600-3800 m
Bioregions: SNH, SNE (Sweetwater Mtns), W&I
California counties: Mono, Tulare, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, Tuolumne, Alpine, Placer, Mariposa, Modoc
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.