Taxon Report

Carex stevenii (T. Holm) Kalela

Steven's sedge

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Carex stevenii, commonly known as Steven's sedge, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Cyperaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Alpine boulder and rock field, growing at elevations from 2850 to 3385 meters. Carex stevenii is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Carex stevenii (T. Holm) Kalela
Common Name:	Steven's sedge
Family:	Cyperaceae
Element Code:	PMCYP039D4
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Aug	Aug
Elevation:	2850-3385 (9350-11105)
General Habitats:	Alpine boulder and rock field
Microhabitat:	Dry (sometimes), Streambanks (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:	sometimes along creeks, sometimes dry meadows

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G4?
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12 added to 2.2 on 2011-11-21

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	2
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	2

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Boundary Peak (3711873), White Mtn. Peak (3711863)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes



Known in CA only from the White Mtns. All occurrences historical; need field surveys. Previously identified as C. norvegica; see this plant in The Jepson Manual (1993). See American Journal of Science (ser. 4) 16:21-27 (1903) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed New Add to CRPR 2.2, G4? / S1 (2011)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 3 November 2025].