Taxon Report
Carex obispoensis StaceySan Luis Obispo sedge |
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Taxon Summary
Carex obispoensis, commonly known as San Luis Obispo sedge, is a perennial cespitose herb in the Cyperaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Closed-cone coniferous forest, Coastal prairie, Coastal scrub, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 10 to 820 meters. Carex obispoensis is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Carex obispoensis Stacey |
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Common Name: |
San Luis Obispo sedge |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Element Code: | PMCYP039J0 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | CAOB2 |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial cespitose herb |
| Blooming Period: Apr-Jun | Apr-Jun |
| Elevation: | 10-820 (35-2690) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral, Closed-cone coniferous forest, Coastal prairie, Coastal scrub, Valley and foothill grassland |
| Microhabitat: | Clay (often), Gabbroic (sometimes), Seeps (often), Serpentine (often) |
| Microhabitat Details: | often on clay soils |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G3? |
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State Rank: |
S3? |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | BLM_S; SB_SBBG; USFS_S |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 29 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 4 |
| Good (B) | 3 |
| Fair (C) | 2 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 20 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Monterey (MNT), San Diego (SDG), San Luis Obispo (SLO) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Alpine (3211677), Atascadero (3512046), Big Sur (3612137), Burnett Peak (3512172), Cambria (3512151), Cape San Martin (3512184), Dulzura (3211667), Lopez Mtn. (3512035), Lopez Point (3612115), Morro Bay South (3512037), Pebblestone Shut-in (3512161), Piedras Blancas (3512163), Pismo Beach (3512026), San Luis Obispo (3512036), San Simeon (3512162), Santa Margarita Lake (3512034) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 12 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 11 | 38 % | |
| Grazing | 7 | 24% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 4 | 13% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 4 | 13% |
| Improper burning regime | 3 | 10% |
| Military operations | 3 | 10% |
| Mining | 3 | 10% |
| Feral pigs | 3 | 10% |
| Erosion/runoff | 2 | 6% |
| Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime | 1 | 3% |
| Development | 1 | 3% |
| Wood cutting or brush clearing | 1 | 3% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 1 | 3% |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 18 November 2025].