Carex californica is a tussock-forming species of perennial sedge in the family Cyperaceae. It is native to western parts of the United States.
The sedges have long rhizomes and form colonies. The smooth to roughly textured culms are in length. The bladeless leaves have a purple tinge and have fibrous proximal sheaths with a diameter of with small projections that are long and sometimes wider than they are long. The inflorescences are in length.
The species was first described by the botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey in 1889 as a part of Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club. It has one synonym; Carex polymorpha var. californica as described by Georg Kukenthal.