Taxon Report

Carex vallicola Dewey

western valley sedge

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Taxon Summary

Carex vallicola, commonly known as western valley sedge, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Cyperaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 1525 to 2805 meters. Carex vallicola is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Carex vallicola Dewey
Common Name:	western valley sedge
Family:	Cyperaceae
Element Code:	PMCYP03EA0
USDA Plants Symbol:	CAVA3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Aug	Jul-Aug
Elevation:	1525-2805 (5005-9205)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:	Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G4G5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	14
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	12

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Alpine (ALP), Lassen (LAS), Modoc (MOD), Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Chris Flat (3811944), Desert Creek Peak (3811953), Emerson Peak (4112022), Heenan Lake (3811966), Holbrook Canyon (4112015), Mount Dana (3711982), Mt. Barcroft (3711852), Mt. Bidwell (4112082), Mt. Jackson (3811933), Mt. Patterson (3811943), Pickel Meadow (3811935), Snake Lake (4112021), Station Peak (3711851), Topaz Lake (3811965)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	2	14 %
Grazing	2	14%

Notes



State-listed as Sensitive in WA. See American Journal of Science II 82:40 (1861) for original description.
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 30 January 2025].