Carex tumulicola
Foothill sedge
(c) Noah How, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex tumulicola (Foothill sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by distinctive flexible inflorescence and long-beaked perigynia.
Foothill sedge is a California native perennial sedge found in northern California coastal, northern coastal, Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, central coastal, San Francisco Bay, and Channel Islands bioregions in meadows and open woodland at elevations below 1,800 meters. Without specific flowering time data, its botanical characteristics include an open, often flexible inflorescence 2 to 5 centimeters long with bristle-like bracts. Growing in loosely clustered tufts with slender stems, this sedge has narrow leaf blades 1 to 2.5 millimeters wide. Its distinctive pistillate flower bracts are red with white margins and have small awns, while the perigynia are light green to brown and 3.5 to 5 millimeters long with a short beak. The mature fruit is small, measuring 1.8 to 2.3 millimeters with a slightly notched tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 124 sympatric species; distinctive flexible inflorescence and long-beaked perigynia
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, open woodland
Elevation: < 1800 m
California counties: Mendocino, Sonoma, Alameda, Fresno, Humboldt, Marin, Monterey, San Francisco, San Mateo, Los Angeles, Contra Costa, Amador, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, Mariposa, Santa Barbara, Lake, Napa, Madera, Colusa, Butte, Merced, Placer, Solano, Tuolumne, Modoc, Sacramento, El Dorado, Orange
Outside California: to British Columbia
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 tumulicola native to California?
Yes. Carex tumulicola is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex tumulicola grow?
Carex tumulicola occurs in Mendocino, Sonoma, Alameda, Fresno, Humboldt, Marin, Monterey, San Francisco and other counties, at elevations of < 1800 m.
What plant family does Carex tumulicola belong to?
Carex tumulicola is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex tumulicola grow in?
Carex tumulicola grows in Meadows, open woodland.
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.