Cyperus squarrosus
Awned cyperus
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Family: Cyperaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Cyperus squarrosus (Awned cyperus) is a native California grass in the Cyperaceae family, recognized by bristle-like outcurved bract tips are unmistakable.
Awned cyperus is a California native annual sedge found in moist, sunny, disturbed places, especially along pond margins and riverbanks at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from June to November, this plant produces small green to straw-colored flowers in open, wide ovoid spikes 5 to 15 millimeters across. Growing 1 to 10 centimeters tall with delicate, spreading stems, it forms compact clusters in wet habitats. Its flower bracts are distinctively tipped with small, strongly curved bristles about 0.5 to 1.3 millimeters long that give the plant its "awned" characteristic. The tiny fruit is light brown to black and approximately 0.7 to 1.1 millimeters long, developing in compact clusters.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species; bristle-like outcurved bract tips are unmistakable
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist, sunny, disturbed places, especially pond margins, riverbanks
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: Lake, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, Fresno, Alpine, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Orange, Plumas, Sacramento, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Mono, Calaveras, Monterey, Lassen, San Joaquin, Nevada, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara, Amador, Mendocino, Del Norte, Sutter, Sonoma, Napa, Placer, Kings, Tehama, Glenn, Stanislaus, Sierra
Outside California: temperate, tropics +- worldwide
Bloom period
Cyperus squarrosus blooms Jun, Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Carex: Cyperus has umbrella clusters with flat spikes; Carex has brown/green spikelets with seeds in individual flasks.; vs Scirpus: Cyperus has flattened ribbon-like spikes; Scirpus has rounded, cylindrical spikelets.; vs Juncus: Cyperus has triangular stems and flat flower spikes; Juncus has round stems and individual flowers.; vs Sticherus: Cyperus is a sedge with triangular stem; Sticherus is a fern with fronds.; vs Eleusine: Cyperus has triangular stems; Eleusine is a grass with round stems and obvious grass flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cyperus squarrosus native to California?
Yes. Cyperus squarrosus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cyperus squarrosus bloom?
Cyperus squarrosus blooms Jun, Nov.
Where in California does Cyperus squarrosus grow?
Cyperus squarrosus occurs in Lake, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, Fresno, Alpine, Butte, Colusa and other counties, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Cyperus squarrosus belong to?
Cyperus squarrosus is in the Cyperaceae family, genus Cyperus.
What habitat does Cyperus squarrosus grow in?
Cyperus squarrosus grows in Moist, sunny, disturbed places, especially pond margins, riverbanks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cyperus strigosus — False nutsedge
- Cyperus acuminatus — Short pointed cyperus
- Cyperus bipartitus — Slender flatsedge
- Cyperus difformis — Variable flatsedge
- Cyperus eragrostis — Tall cyperus
- Cyperus erythrorhizos — Red rooted cyperus
- Dulichium arundinaceum var. arundinaceum — Three-way sedge
- Dulichium sp.
- Eleocharis acicularis — Needle spikerush
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.