Taxon Report

Carex scirpoidea Michx. ssp. pseudoscirpoidea (Rydb.) D.A. Dunlop

western single-spiked sedge

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Carex scirpoidea ssp. pseudoscirpoidea, commonly known as western single-spiked sedge, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Cyperaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Alpine boulder and rock field, Meadows and seeps, and Subalpine coniferous forest (rocky), growing at elevations from 2990 to 3700 meters. Carex scirpoidea ssp. pseudoscirpoidea is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Carex scirpoidea Michx. ssp. pseudoscirpoidea (Rydb.) D.A. Dunlop
Common Name:	western single-spiked sedge
Family:	Cyperaceae
Element Code:	PMCYP03C85
USDA Plants Symbol:	CASCP3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Sep	Jul-Sep
Elevation:	2990-3700 (9810-12140)
General Habitats:	Alpine boulder and rock field, Meadows and seeps, Subalpine coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Carbonate (often), Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5T5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	11
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	10

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Alpine (ALP), Inyo (INY), Mono (MNO), Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Caples Lake (3812061), Convict Lake (3711857), Coyote Flat (3711824), Crestview (3711878), Mount Dana (3711982), Mt. Barcroft (3711852), Mt. Morgan (3711846), Toms Place (3711856)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	9 %
ORV activity	1	9%

Notes



Possibly threatened by grazing. See Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 1:78 (1900) for original description and Novon 7:355-356 (1997) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 2 November 2025].