The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

bighead sedge

Habit Perennial grass-like herb to 30 cm tall, from buried rhizomes.
Leaves

narrow, grass-like, to over 30 cm long, from base of stem.

Flowers

Tiny and inconspicuous, lacking petals, with male and femal flowers on separate plants; in large dense spikes 3-8 cm long at tip of stem.

Fruits

Achene, enclosed by a papery sheath (perigynia)

Carex rariflora

Carex macrocephala

Identification notes A very distinctive species for a sedge; its coastal habitat and large dense spikes are unmistakable.
Flowering time June-July
Habitat Sandy saltwater beaches and dunes.
Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the coast in Washington; Alaska to Oregon; northern Pacific Rim.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
C. abrupta, C. agastachys, C. albonigra, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. anthoxanthea, C. aperta, C. aquatilis, C. arcta, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. backii, C. bebbii, C. bolanderi, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. brunnescens, C. buchananii, C. buxbaumii, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. chordorrhiza, C. circinata, C. comosa, C. concinnoides, C. cordillerana, C. crawei, C. crawfordii, C. cusickii, C. davyi, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. deweyana, C. diandra, C. disperma, C. divulsa, C. douglasii, C. eburnea, C. echinata, C. engelmannii, C. exsiccata, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. flava, C. fracta, C. geyeri, C. gynocrates, C. halliana, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. hoodii, C. hystericina, C. illota, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. jonesii, C. kelloggii, C. kobomugi, C. lacustris, C. laeviculmis, C. lasiocarpa, C. leporina, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. longii, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. macloviana, C. macrocephala, C. macrochaeta, C. magellanica, C. media, C. mertensii, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. neurophora, C. nigricans, C. nudata, C. obnupta, C. obtusata, C. pachycarpa, C. pachystachya, C. pallescens, C. pansa, C. parryana, C. pauciflora, C. pellita, C. pendula, C. petasata, C. phaeocephala, C. pluriflora, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. proposita, C. raynoldsii, C. retrorsa, C. rossii, C. rostrata, C. saxatilis, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. sheldonii, C. siccata, C. simulata, C. spectabilis, C. stenoptila, C. stipata, C. straminiformis, C. stylosa, C. subbracteata, C. subfusca, C. sychnocephala, C. sylvatica, C. tahoensis, C. tenera, C. tenuiflora, C. tribuloides, C. tumulicola, C. unilateralis, C. utriculata, C. vallicola, C. vernacula, C. vesicaria, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. zikae
C. abrupta, C. agastachys, C. albonigra, C. amplifolia, C. angustata, C. anthoxanthea, C. aperta, C. aquatilis, C. arcta, C. atherodes, C. athrostachya, C. atrosquama, C. aurea, C. backii, C. bebbii, C. bolanderi, C. brevior, C. breweri, C. brunnescens, C. buchananii, C. buxbaumii, C. californica, C. canescens, C. capillaris, C. capitata, C. chordorrhiza, C. circinata, C. comosa, C. concinnoides, C. cordillerana, C. crawei, C. crawfordii, C. cusickii, C. davyi, C. deflexa, C. densa, C. deweyana, C. diandra, C. disperma, C. divulsa, C. douglasii, C. eburnea, C. echinata, C. engelmannii, C. exsiccata, C. feta, C. filifolia, C. flava, C. fracta, C. geyeri, C. gynocrates, C. halliana, C. hassei, C. haydeniana, C. hendersonii, C. heteroneura, C. hoodii, C. hystericina, C. illota, C. infirminervia, C. inops, C. integra, C. interior, C. interrupta, C. jonesii, C. kelloggii, C. kobomugi, C. lacustris, C. laeviculmis, C. lasiocarpa, C. leporina, C. leporinella, C. leptalea, C. leptopoda, C. limosa, C. livida, C. longii, C. luzulina, C. lyngbyei, C. macloviana, C. macrochaeta, C. magellanica, C. media, C. mertensii, C. micropoda, C. microptera, C. nardina, C. nebrascensis, C. neurophora, C. nigricans, C. nudata, C. obnupta, C. obtusata, C. pachycarpa, C. pachystachya, C. pallescens, C. pansa, C. parryana, C. pauciflora, C. pellita, C. pendula, C. petasata, C. phaeocephala, C. pluriflora, C. praeceptorum, C. praegracilis, C. praticola, C. preslii, C. proposita, C. raynoldsii, C. retrorsa, C. rossii, C. rostrata, C. saxatilis, C. scirpoidea, C. scoparia, C. scopulorum, C. sheldonii, C. siccata, C. simulata, C. spectabilis, C. stenoptila, C. stipata, C. straminiformis, C. stylosa, C. subbracteata, C. subfusca, C. sychnocephala, C. sylvatica, C. tahoensis, C. tenera, C. tenuiflora, C. tribuloides, C. tumulicola, C. unilateralis, C. utriculata, C. vallicola, C. vernacula, C. vesicaria, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, C. zikae
Web links