Cyperus iria

Ricefield flatsedge

Family: Cyperaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Ricefield flatsedge is a naturalized annual sedge found in the Yuba County region of the Sacramento Valley in ditches and pond shores at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from August to October, this plant produces golden brown to brown flowers in flattened spikelets 4 to 20 millimeters long, arranged in 4 to 8 rays. Growing 20 to 30 centimeters tall with 3 to 10 three-sided stems, it forms a delicate and spreading inflorescence. Its flower bracts are small, about 1.3 to 1.8 millimeters long, with obovate to round shapes that have a tiny point and two distinct lateral veins. The fruit is a glossy, fine-pitted obovoid structure approximately 1.2 to 1.4 millimeters long.

Habitat: Ditches, pond shores

Bloom period: Aug-Oct

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: ScV (Yuba Co.)

California counties: Butte, Yuba

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