Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Carex mariposana is a species of sedge known by the common name Mariposa sedge. This sedge is native to the Sierra Nevada of California and far western Nevada, where it grows in moist areas such as meadows. This sedge is native to the Sierra Nevada of California and far western Nevada, where it grows in moist areas such as meadows. Carex mariposana produces dense clumps of stems up to about 90 centimeters in maximum height and narrow leaves up to about 30 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a dense or open cluster of gold, brown, or reddish spikes. The fruit is covered with a sac called a perigynium which is generally greenish or coppery brown, veined, and winged.

Plant type

Grass

Size

2 - 3 ft Tall

Form

Upright

Growth rate

Slow

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Color

Yellow, Red, Brown

Flowering season

Spring

Special uses

Containers

Soil description

Prefers sandy or loamy soils. Does not grow well in clay soils.

Plant communities

Lodgepole Forest, Red Fir Forest, Subalpine Forest, Yellow Pine Forest

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 7 likely

Confirmed Likely

Common Ringlet

Coenonympha tullia

Olive Green Cutworm Moth

Dargida procinctus

Dun Skipper

Euphyes vestris

American Crescent Borer

Helotropha reniformis