Carex vernacula
Foetid sedge, Foetid Sedge
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Carex vernacula (Foetid sedge) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by distinctive compact dark inflorescence.
Foetid sedge is a California native perennial found in the high Sierra Nevada, Warner Mountains, eastern Sierra Nevada, and White and Inyo Mountains in open, often rocky areas wet from snow-melt at elevations of 1,800 to 4,000 meters. Flowering from late spring to summer, this sedge forms dense clusters with small, dark brown spikelets featuring narrow white-tipped bracts. Growing with loosely clustered stems 5 to 30 centimeters tall, it spreads through underground rhizomes in alpine and subalpine environments. Its narrow leaves measure 1.5 to 3.5 millimeters wide, growing shorter than the dense inflorescence. The fruit is small and ovate, with a well-defined beak and brown perigynia often edged in green.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 99 sympatric species; distinctive compact dark inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, often rocky areas wet from snow-melt
Elevation: 1800-4000 m
California counties: Fresno, Madera, Inyo, Alpine, Mono, Tulare, El Dorado, Shasta, Tuolumne, Nevada, Modoc, Amador, Sierra, Butte, Tehama, Calaveras, Mariposa, Siskiyou
Outside California: scattered in montane western United States
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 vernacula native to California?
Yes. Carex vernacula is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Carex vernacula grow?
Carex vernacula occurs in Fresno, Madera, Inyo, Alpine, Mono, Tulare, El Dorado, Shasta and other counties, at elevations of 1800-4000 m.
What plant family does Carex vernacula belong to?
Carex vernacula is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Carex.
What habitat does Carex vernacula grow in?
Carex vernacula grows in Open, often rocky areas wet from snow-melt.
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.