Carex triquetra

Trigonous sedge, Trigonous Sedge

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Trigonous sedge is a California native perennial sedge found in coastal areas including the Central Coast, Southern Coast, southern Channel Islands, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in clay and rocky non-serpentine soils at elevations below 1,800 meters. This sedge forms dense tufted clumps with stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall, characterized by leaf blades 2.5 to 6 millimeters wide with distinctively red-dotted leaf sheaths. Growing as a cespitose (tufted) plant, it produces lateral spikelets that often have staminate flowers at the base and tend to nod gently. Its leaves are minutely papillate on the upper surface, with copper-colored pistillate flower bracts that have occasionally hairy midribs. The plant's fruits are elliptic, measuring 3.2 to 3.5 millimeters long with spreading hairs and a short beak less than 1 millimeter in length.

Habitat: Clay, often rocky non-serpentine soil

Elevation: < 1800 m

Bioregions: CCo, SCo, s ChI, TR, PR

California counties: San Diego, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Alpine

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