Carex vallicola
Western valley sedge, Western Valley Sedge
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Western valley sedge is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial sedge found in northern and central Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada Eastern region, White and Inyo Mountains, and Modoc Plateau in moist to slightly dry montane slopes at elevations of 1,800 to 3,100 meters. Growing with cespitose (loosely clustered) stems 15 to 60 centimeters tall, this sedge has narrow leaf blades just 0.5 to 2 millimeters wide. Its inflorescences are compact, measuring 1 to 3 centimeters long with 4 to 8 millimeters width and containing fewer than 10 spikelets, with white, mucronate (short-pointed) pistillate flower bracts. The fruits are small, measuring 1.6 to 2.5 millimeters long, with spreading perigynia that are green to light brown, shiny, and featuring a distinctive bulged abaxial surface. The plant produces perigynia with a short 0.6 to 1 millimeter beak and subtle reddish teeth.
Habitat: Moist to +- dry slopes, montane
Elevation: 1800-3100 m
Bioregions: n&c SNH, SNE (Sweetwater Mtns), W&I, MP (exc Wrn)
California counties: Alpine, Mono, Lassen, Mariposa, Humboldt, Santa Barbara
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.